Greatdale Limited, which trades as Cumbria Crystal, has been fined £15,000 after an employee suffered serious hand injuries.
Laura Ponsford, who was 21 at the time, was operating a drill to widen the neck of a glass bottle. However, the chuck and the reamer were unguarded. While operating the drill, Mrs Ponsford was wearing latex gloves, which became entangled with the rotating parts of the reamer, which led to her middle finger being severed.
After 10 hours of surgery to reattach the finger, she was unfortunately told that the operation did not work and had to have her finger amputated to below the second knuckle.
At the trial, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) told the court that the incident could have been prevented if a suitable and sufficient risk assessment had been carried out and if control measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery were in place.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations SI 1998/2306 at Preston Crown Court and was subsequently fined.
