Severed hand in the workplace: company fined £24,000

Severed hand: £24,000 finE

Health and Safety Executive v Pipework Engineering Services Ltd (2017) Birmingham magistrates’ court, May 26

Statutory reference: regulation 17 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER).

Pipework Engineering Services Ltd has been fined following an incident in which a worker suffered a severed hand.

The facts

· In March 2016 a worker was operating a foot pedal saw. His hand came into contact with the saw’s rotating blade.

· He suffered a severed hand and wrist which required surgical intervention to reattach.

· The company had failed to install the machine correctly and in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. This meant that it could be operated from a position which took the operator very close to the blade.

The decision

The company was fined £24,000 plus £2000 costs under regulation 17 of PUWER.