Richard John Pullinger, a sole trader that recycles cardboard in
Polesworth, was fined after a 19-year-old employee suffered severe
damage to his left hand when it was drawn into a roller press that had
no guards on it.
Nuneaton Magistrates Court heard that the
employee, Wade Moore, who had only been working for Mr Pullinger for
three weeks, had his hand on top of cardboard as it was being drawn into
the rollers. There was no emergency stop button on the machine but
another operator realised what had happened and put the machine quickly
into reverse mode.
Mr Wade lost a third of his fifth finger, part
of his ring finger and thumb, had multiple fractures and lacerations of
his hand and needed a five hour operation to limit the damage. He still
requires physiotherapy treatment and has had a further operation on his
thumb.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
found that the machine was at least 26-years-old and was in a poor state
of repair. A prohibition notice was immediately issued after the
incident and a guard was fitted to the machine days later.
Richard
John Pullinger trading at Unit 5A Pooley Hall Farm Pooley Lane,
Polesworth, was fined £13,000 and was ordered to pay £6,143 in costs
after he pleaded guilty to a Contravention of Regulation 11(1) of the
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 as effective
measures had not been taken to prevent access to the dangerous parts of
the roller press.
The family expressed their concern and said
“people do not realise the consequences this accident has had on this
family – to put guards on a machine could have saved us a lot of heart
ache. It was such an easy thing to do and the accident could have been
easily avoided with just a piece of plastic to be put in place “
CRS
says “This life changing incident could have been avoided if the owner
of the business had fitted a simple inexpensive guard to stop a young
man’s hand becoming trapped and passing through this roller press.”
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