Risk, Health and Safety Information

Cabinet manufacturer fined for worker's injuries

A maintenance engineer lost the tips of two fingers when they became caught in machinery in a Plymouth factory.

Darren Robins, (41), from Plymouth, was working at the Rittal CSM plant in Roborough when his fingers got caught in machinery as he was trying to clean it on 1 May 2012.

In a prosecution brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today, Plymouth Magistrates' Court heard that Mr Robins was clearing paint that was clogging up the machinery at the factory, which makes metal cabinets for office computer equipment.

He removed the guard of the paint spraying booth to clean the chain and, as he finished cleaning it, he asked another employee to turn on the machine so he could see if the chains were moving freely. His fingers got caught in the chain. Mr Robins lost the ends of his fingers and surgeons were unable to reattach them.

An investigation by HSE found that no risk assessment had been carried out for maintenance procedures and there was no suitable way to isolate the machinery when maintenance was carried out.

Rittal CSM of Broadley Park, Roborough, pleaded guilty to a breach of Regulation 3 of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. The company was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,478.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Melissa Lai-Hung, said:

"Working with any moving machinery creates risks to workers and it is vital that assessments are carried out and instructions are in place so employees know how to do their work safely.

"Mr Robins' injuries could have been much more serious and the loss of the tips of his fingers have not only caused him a lot of pain and distress but also meant there are many simple tasks he cannot perform as easily as he did before."