Legal News

A company based in Staffordshire has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), after a worker suffered serious injury when he became entangled in a length of galvanised pipe being turned in a machine.

Craig Horton, 26, from Stone in Staffordshire, was working for ASLR Fabrication Services Ltd on 12 September 2014, carrying out a process using a pipe threading machine for cutting “male” threads onto the end of steel pipework.

He had used the piece of machinery for the first time the previous day and was wearing a “hoody” type top at the time of the incident.

As Mr Horton placed the pipe end into the jaws of the threading machine and depressed the foot pedal to commence the machine cycle, the pipe began to spin within the jaws.

As it rotated, Mr Horton’s clothing was snagged, dragging him and wrapping him around the pipe, with the result that he was unable to breathe properly.

Two colleagues ran to his aid and had to cut his top off him to free him from the pipe, so that he could breathe again.

After Mr Horton was freed, medics found that his arm was broken in two places. He underwent an operation to fit two metal plates and 12 pins into his arm, which has left him with life changing injuries.

Stafford Magistrates’ Court heard that the incident was entirely preventable.

HSE investigators said that a suitable and sufficient risk assessment should have been carried out – and effective clamps fitted to hold the pipe, or guarding/safety devices in place to prevent access to the dangerous rotating pipe.

ASLR Fabrication Services Ltd of Opal Way, Stone Business Park in Stone, Staffordshire admitted breaching the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, Regulation 11(1) and was fined £6,000.

The company also admitted breaching the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, Regulation 3(1) (a) and was fined a further £6,000.

The company was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £1,377.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Kath Blunt said:

“This accident was entirely preventable. This could very easily have been a fatality.

“It is imperative that risk assessments are carried out in order to identify significant risks – and suitable control measures to be put in place to eliminate or reduce such risks.”

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