Michelin Tyres plc of Stoke-on-Trent have received a hefty fine of around £112,500, after pleading guilty to a breach of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) SI 1998/2306. The prosecution came about from the company's failure to prevent employees adapting safety equipment on its machinery. As a result, a man caught his hand in work equipment and promptly lost 3 fingers. A guard that was designed to prevent such an accident had been removed, and other dangerous modifications made, meaning the moving part could be easily accessed.
The Health and Safety Executive investigating inspector said, "in this case Michelin Tyres plc failed to ensure all safety measures were in place on their work equipment. It is an employers duty to make sure that risks to safety within the workplace are adequately assessed and control measures implemented to avoid injury."
