Two companies have been charged a total of £115,000 for breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 after a worker was dragged through a 125mm gap by a machine, suffering extensive injuries.
Matthew Lowe became caught on a conveyor system used to move steel beams after he looked into an outline point to check that a beam was connected. He was then dragged through a gap, no bigger than a CD case, between a moving measuring head and a wall. His injuries included a broken back, a ruptured stomach and bowel, shattered pelvis, a fractured right arm and several broken ribs.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that there were no guards in place to protect Mr Lowe from the moving machinery. They determine that although Mr Lowe was inexperienced in using the machinery the fact that there was no guarding was the main factor in the accident.
Judge Robert Moore said some of the safety features on the machinery "could be regarded as the equivalent of a chocolate fireguard". Mr Lowe was therefore lucky to survive.
Sheffield Crown Court heard that Compass Engineering Ltd, Mr Lowe's employer, was the owner of the machine and was liable but Kaltenbach, who built and installed the machine, was also liable as they had signed-off the equipment as being ready to use. As a result, both firms were successfully prosecuted.
HSE inspector Chris Chambers said, "Had appropriate guarding been in place the incident could never have happened. While this prosecution will live long in the memory because of the shock details, I hope it serves as a reminder to those involved in manufacturing, processing and the supply of machinery of the need to prevent access to dangerous parts".
