An employee has been seriously injured after his finger came into contact with a saw blade, leading to a fine for Neil Smith (Export Services) Limited.
In September 2019, an employee was using a blade to cut wooden batons when his finger came into contact with an unguarded part of the radial arm saw blade and became partially severed.
Neil Smith (Export Services) Limited, with head offices based in Norwich, were subject to a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation and it was found they had not maintained the adjustable front guard on their radial arm saw. The guard on the front had broken wing nuts which meant the guard could not be used.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations SI 1998/2306 and were fined £21,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,954.
HSE Inspector Lydia Edwards said:
"The incident could have been easily avoided had the company repaired the guard as soon as it became inoperable. Employers must ensure that machinery guarding is kept in good working order."
