Legal News

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a soft toy filling company, after a worker lost his hand in unguarded machinery.

On 8 March 2016, the unnamed worker was attempting to clear a blockage in a carding machine – the carding machine had a flange attachment for connecting pipework to the machine at the discharge chute, in order to supply loose fibre to a single toy-filling machine.

However, the flange and pipework were removed to allow the carding machine to discharge into a wooden enclosure to supply three toy-filling machines with loose fibre.

As a result, a spiked roller located inside the discharge chute was unguarded and accessible during operation.

The worker had entered the wooden enclosure and was clearing loose fibre from the discharge chute to free a blockage in the machine while the spiked discharge roller was still rotating. The roller grabbed his left hand, drawing it into the machine and severing most of his fingers.

The worker was airlifted to hospital, where surgeons amputated his hand from the wrist due to the seriousness of his injuries.

At Sheffield Magistrates’ Court, The Stuffing Plant Ltd (TSP) of Whitelea Grove Industrial Estate in Mexborough, Doncaster, South Yorkshire pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

The company was fined £35,000 with £2,486 in costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Eddy Tarn said:

“This man’s life changing injuries could have been prevented if a suitable and sufficient planning had been completed – and the correct control measures were identified and implemented.

“The consequences of leaving off the flange and discharge pipework were foreseeable and could have easily been prevented.”

Duncan Lewis Personal Injury Solicitors

Duncan Lewis Personal Injury Solicitors can advise those who undergo amputation as a result of negligence on how to make a no win no fee compensation claim – including claims relating to: