A Middleton company has been fined after a worker suffered
severe injuries when his right hand was trapped in a moving machine. IOSH Working Safely
The 60-year-old, from Rochdale, who does not want to be
named, was carrying out maintenance work on a pillow filling machine at Comfy
Quilts Ltd in Stakehill when the incident happened on 2 July 2013.
The company, which designs and manufactures pillows, quilts
and other bed linen, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive
(HSE) after an investigation found it had not provided suitable safe systems of
work or adequate training for maintenance workers.
Trafford Magistrates’ Court heard that the worker was
attempting to rectify a problem with the pillow filler. The fixed guards had
been removed to allow access, but correct procedures to isolate the power
supply had not been followed and his right hand was trapped in the machine as a
result.
He lost a significant amount of skin and badly fractured his
thumb, which had to be pinned following surgery. He was unable to return to
work for two months and could then only undertake light duties.
HSE served an Improvement Notice at the Stakehill site in
the aftermath of the incident and also carried out an inspection of the
company’s other site in Middleton. This resulted in further Improvement Notices
being served, all highlighting the general lack of knowledge about the
importance of machinery guarding. IOSH
Managing Safely
The court was told Comfy Quilts Ltd made several changes to
its working practices following the incident, including making and publishing
risk assessments for working on each machine at the site, and formally
implementing procedures and training for maintenance staff.
Comfy Quilts Ltd, of Stakehill Industrial Estate in
Middleton, was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay £718.50 in prosecution costs
after pleading guilty to a breach of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at
Work etc. Act 1974.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Emily Osborne
said:
“Comfy Quilts Ltd should have carried out a proper
assessment of the risks faced by workers, and then acted to tackle the dangers.
If the measures the company implemented following the incident had been in
place sooner, then the worker’s injuries could have been avoided.” NEBOSH
National General certificate in occupational health & safety
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