Personal Injury Solicitors

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a Tameside housing trust, after a worker suffered severe injuries to his left hand when it was struck by a metal blade on a ride-on mower he was trying to unblock.

On 28 March 2014, the unnamed 24-year-old worker from Stockport sustained broken bones and had to have his thumb and forefinger amputated following the incident on Hitchen Drive in Dukinfield in Tameside, Greater Manchester.

The housing trust which carried out the work – New Charter Housing Trust –
was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive, after an investigation found the organisation had failed to consider the risks from the work, provide professional training – or to give clear instructions on what to do if the mowers became blocked.

At the time of the incident, the worker was using a ride-on mower for the first cut of the season, with a grass box attached. The chute to the grass box often became blocked, as the grass was long and wet.

On one occasion, the employee reached into the chute to clear a blockage, when his hand came into contact with a metal fan, which was still rotating.

He suffered serious injuries as a result – and is now unable to grip with his left hand or use his remaining fingers. An X-ray of the worker’s injuries was released.

The court was told the worker had not received training on how to use the mower – and did not know that the fan continued to rotate for around 30 seconds after the engine was switched off.

On Thursday 7 January at Manchester Crown Court, New Charter Housing Trust, of Cavendish Street in Ashton-under-Lyne, was fined £140,000 and ordered to pay £70,000 in prosecution costs, after being found guilty of a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Sarah Taylor said:

“A young worker has suffered injuries that will affect him for the rest of his life – but they could easily have been avoided.

“New Charter Housing Trust should have planned the work properly and provided appropriate training, so workers knew to wait for the fan to stop.”

Duncan Lewis Personal Injury Solicitors – No win no fee Amputation Claims

Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors can advise those have undergone amputation as a result of injury caused by negligence on how to make a no win no fee claim for compensation, including amputation claims involving:

• Accidents at work
• Animal attacks
• Children’s accidents
• Criminal injuries
• Faulty goods
• Holiday accidents
• Medical negligence
• Public liability accidents
• Road traffic accidents
• Sports accidents.

Amputation claims have to be made within three years of injury or diagnosis of injury – children can make a claim for compensation up to the age of 21.
For sympathetic and expert legal advice on no win no fee Amputation Claims, contact Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors on 0333 772 0409.