Injury at work – worker loses finger
A carpenter has suffered serious injuries to his hand following safety failings that led to an incident with a rotary saw.
Finger amputated – what happened?
Weymouth Magistrates’ Court heard that George Warren Heath, aged 19 at the time of the incident, was preparing lengths of wood for use as doorframes. Part of the process involved operating a ‘flip over saw’. However, the saw was not fitted with a safety guard, and three of Mr Heath’s fingers came into contact with the spinning blade – one of the fingers was badly damaged and required amputation.
An investigation led by the Health and Safety Executive discovered that although Mr Heath’s employer had provided safety guards, adequate measures were not taken to ensure that those guards were in place.
Sugar Construction Limited was found guilty of breaching the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The construction firm was fined £1,500 and was also required to pay full costs of £1,543.
HSE Inspector James Powell commented:
all foreseeable uses and operations of the work equipment.”
“Table saws should not be used unless the appropriate safety devices and protection appliances are used. Workers should be provided with the information, instruction, training and supervision as is appropriate
with the tool that is being used.”
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Source: Health and Safety Executive
