A breach in health and safety by Eglinton (Timber Products) Limited has led to a 22 year old man losing his hand. The incident occurred on 25 July 2013 when the man became trapped in a timber processing machine, after coming into contact with a rotating cog mechanism.
After pleading guilty to a breach of health and safety legislation, Derry Crown Court fined the company £8,000 plus costs of £1,500.
The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) investigated the incident and found that the training provided was inadequate.
Kevin Campbell, an inspector within HSENI’s Major Investigation Team commented: "All companies must identify and address hazards within the workplace. Where maintenance is to take place, appropriate measures should be taken to prevent access to dangerous moving parts of machines. Companies must also ensure that all new staff are properly trained, and supervised, particularly when it comes to working with potentially dangerous machinery."
