A company in Newport has found itself in court and handed fines after two employees suffered serious, life-changing injuries.
Stephen Harris, 53, from Pontnewydd, was drawn into a powered lathe that he was using to unwrap cloth from a processing roller at Moonsys Technology Ltd, trading as Recovery Rollers, on 22 May 2013. A second incident resulted in Ross Powell-Morris, 32, having his left arm amputated after being drawn into a CNC lathe while polishing a metal roller journal using emery cloth. He also suffered scarring to his face and is still in constant pain. Mr Powell-Morris has also been unable to return to work.
Moonsys Technology Ltd was fined a total of £70,000 and ordered to pay £20,710 in costs after pleading guilty to two breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Inspector Gethyn Jones said: "Entanglement in rotating parts of machinery is a well-known risk but Moonsys Technology clearly failed to ensure the safety of its employees, with terrible life-changing consequences for both Mr Harris and Mr Powell-Morris and their families. Both incidents could have been prevented had there been a safe system of work in place for the tasks and full risk assessments carried out."
