Carlton company fined after employee loses fingers in machine

Date:

22 October 2008

Release No:

HSE/EM/140/08

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned companies to protect employees from dangerous machinery and provide suitable training after Richard Howitt (37) lost two fingers and part of his thumb on a woodworking machine.

FA North (Carlton) Ltd, of Carlton Hill, Carlton, Nottingham, was fined a total of £6,000 and ordered to pay £4,678 costs at Nottingham Magistrates' Court today after pleading guilty to breaching sections 4, 9(1) and 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

On 11 November 2006, employee Richard Howitt was using a woodworking machine known as a spindle moulder.  As he pushed a piece of wood through the machine, it slipped and his hand went into the cutters resulting in the amputation of two fingers and the partial amputation of the thumb on his right hand.

Mr Howitt has had several operations and intensive physiotherapy since the incident, and his treatment is still ongoing. He has not been able to return to work.

HSE Inspector for Nottinghamshire Frances Bailey said:

"This was an entirely avoidable incident which resulted in Mr Howitt suffering a life changing injury to his hand. The machine should not have been used without the correct guarding to prevent access to the cutters, the correct cutters to minimise any injury and adequate training for the operators.

"Regulations required the old style cutters, used on this machine, to have been replaced by 2003 with a new style cutter, which is designed to minimise hand injuries whilst still being effective for cutting wood. This was not done."

"In addition the company had not given its workers adequate training to ensure they could use the machine safely.  If they had received regular refresher training they would have known that this machine was unsafe."

Notes to editors

1. The company was fined £2,000 for breaching regulation 4 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 states, "Every employer shall ensure that work equipment is so constructed or adapted as to be suitable for the purpose for which it is used or provided."
2. The company was fined £2,000 for breaching regulation 9 (1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 states "Every employer shall ensure that all persons who use work equipment have received adequate training for purposes of health and safety, including training in the methods which may be adopted when using the work equipment, any risks which such use may entail and precautions to be taken."
3. The company was fined £2,000 for breaching regulation 11 (1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 states, "Every employer shall ensure that measures are taken in accordance with paragraph (2) which are effective (a) to prevent access to any dangerous part of machinery or to any rotating stock-bar; or (b) to stop the movement of any dangerous part of machinery or rotating stock-bar before any part of a person enters a danger zone.
4. Two woodworking information sheets "Safe use of vertical spindle moulding machines"  and "PUWER 98 Selection of tooling for use with hand fed woodworking machines" can be downloaded free of charge from the HSE website at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis18.pdf and http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis37.pdf
5. An HSE book, "Safe use of woodworking machinery - PUWER 98 as applied to woodworking machinery - Approved Code of Practice" is also available, priced £8. This can be purchased online at www.hse.gov.uk or by contacting the public information line on 0845 3450055

Public enquiries:

HSE's InfoLine: 0845 3450055
Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG

Press enquiries (Journalists only):

Dee Smith: 0115 971 2788.

HSE information and press releases can be accessed on the Internet: http://www.hse.gov.uk

Issued on behalf of COI East Midlands. Tel: 0115 971 2781 email: Nottingham@coi.gsi.gov.uk