Company fined £100K after employee losses arm in a conveyor belt

Bristol Crown Court fined Concrete Fabrications Ltd, Bristol £100,000 with costs after an employee lost his arm whilst conducting planned maintenance to a misaligned conveyor belt on 18 May 2015.

The unnamed employee had to adjust tensioning rods which were located inside the machine’s guards, in close proximity to the conveyor belt and rotating tail pulley which ultimately resulted in the employee’s arm getting caught in the machine. This action resulted in the arm being severed between the shoulder and the elbow.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), prosecuting told the court that Concrete Fabrications Ltd should have had adequate guards on dangerous parts of the machinery.

Concrete Fabrications Ltd of Cole Road, St Phillips, Bristol, United Kingdom, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Etc. Act 1974 and was fined £100,000 with £7758 costs awarded to HSE.

This case again highlights the need for robust internal health and safety policies and practices.

To avoid such an accident within your workplace ensure the following measures are taken:

1. Suitable and sufficient risk assessments in place which are reviewed as required.
2. All hazards associated with the task to be identified with adequate control measures to be put in place.
3. Safety guards and emergency stop devices to be available and its use effectively implemented.
4. Adequate staff training and provision of Person Protective Equipment to be provided in relation to the task.
5. Adequate procedures for the conducting of planned maintenance.

Contact us if you need help with managing your compliance.

Source:

http://www.shponline.co.uk/firm-sentenced-after-workers-arm-severed/?cid=ema-Marketing-2%20August%202016%20-%20SHP%20Daily%20Update-CTA-