Firm fined after shopfitter's finger severed in accident at workRSS Feed

A shopfitting business in Southport has been fined after an employee severed his finger in an accident at work.

Mentha and Halsall Shopfitters Ltd was prosecuted after the worker's index finger had to be amputated at the knuckle because it had been caught in a rotating saw.

Darren Mawdsley, 37, was trimming oak planks when a piece of wood caught on the blade of the circular saw and pulled his finger into the machine.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the guard for the saw was not in use at the time of the accident at work.

HSE inspector Phil Redman explained that while the company had carried out a risk assessment, they did not pass on the findings to staff.

"No instructions or training were provided to Mr Mawdsley on how to use the saw safely, and supervision in the workshop appeared to be minimal," he added.

In the manufacturing sector last year, there were over 4,000 major injuries and 25 fatalities.

Accident claims advice from Serious Law

Posted by M Heap 

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