A W.K.West Limited driving employee had finished his shift and was asked to work in the factory on the day of the incident. The only training and guidance he received, was a demonstration of the operation of the machinery and his job outline (to push stacked cardboard sheets through the saw to pre-determined sizes). Using no push stick or jig when demonstrating, the supervisor then left the worker unsupervised. As he went to push the cardboard through the blade by hand as the supervisor had, it twisted and pulled his right hand into the blade.
Severe injuries to his hand meant that sections of his index and ring finger had to be amputated, and his middle finger was badly damaged. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the company, found that W.K.West Limited hadn't provided suitable and sufficient training, assessment of the risks and supervision that were necessary to operate a circular saw safely. The company pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined with £120,000 and £849.54 in costs.
Following the hearing, HSE Inspector Anuja Mistry-Raval spoke. "Circular saws have a well-known accident history of severe hand injuries," and said: "Employers should make sure they properly assess and apply effective control measures to minimise the risk of personal injury from dangerous parts of machinery."
