Business Owner Fined after Apprentice Severs Finger

The owner of an adhesive tape manufacturing business has been prosecuted after an apprentice severed his finger on a rotary die press.

Incident

The sixteen year old was working with the rotary die press, adjusting the guides on the laminating head, when he tripped over. Nuneaton Magistrates’ Court heard that as he tripped, he put his hands in front of him and his finger got caught in the drive gear of the laminating unit. As a result of the incident, which took place on 9 September 2014, the apprentice’s right index finger required amputation.

HSE Inspection & Fines

Following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive it was found that the machine did not have any guarding in place to stop access to dangerous parts of the machine.

After pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, James Fussell (trading as Tecman Speciality Materials), of Berrington Road, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, was fined a total of £6,000. Mr Fussell was also ordered to pay costs of £1,754.

HSE Inspector Michelle Morrison said after the hearing:

‘If the company had ensured that access to the dangerous moving parts of the rotary die press had been prevented, then this young man would not have lost the top of one of his fingers. This was an entirely preventable incident.’

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Source: Health & Safety Executive