Serious hand injuries: construction company fined
Health and Safety Executive v Coldmac Ltd (2017) Nuneaton magistrates’ court, March 28
Statutory reference: regulation 11 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER).
Coldmac Ltd, a construction company, has been fined following an incident in which a worker suffered serious hand injuries.
The facts
· The company was engaged as specialist contractor for a new footway. In April 2015 a worker was using a screwdriver to scrape asphalt residue from a mixer. The screwdriver slipped and the worker caught his hand on the mixer. Two of his fingers were severed.
· The guarding on the mixer was below the safety standards required for workers to operate the machinery safely.
The decision
The company was fined £6000 plus £1900 under regulation 11 of PUWER.
An HSE inspector commented after the case that it highlighted the importance of safely checking equipment and machinery, ensuring that employers had appropriate guarding to avoid serious injuries.