The owner of a Penrith wood processing plant has been fined £20,000, plus costs, after a worker had his foot completely severed by a log shavings machine. The owner, Allan Jenkinson, pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
Penrith Magistrates Court heard that a 24-year-old employee of A W Jenkinson Forest Products in Clifton was using a chainsaw to deal with a stuck log in the log box at the end of a conveyor. He lost his balance and his right foot became caught in the 48 razor-sharp revolving blades at the bottom of the log box. The employee, who was working alone, crawled out of the log shavings box and used a radio to call for help.
The HSE investigation concluded that Allan Jenkinson had failed to ensure that safe systems of work associated with the shavings machine were in place. Since the incident, his company has installed fixed guards around the machine to prevent workers from being able to access the conveyors and logs boxes.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector said, “Life-changing incidents such as this one are easily preventable, and it must be a high priority for employers to ensure that their workers are kept safe from serious injury and death at work. Employers who operate machinery are required to identify the risks associated with its use and establish what needs to be put in place so that work can be carried out safely. Safe systems of work should be devised and implemented, including the provision of appropriate worker training, supervision and personal protective equipment."
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