Businesses were today warned by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
to ensure that moving machinery is properly guarded. The warning follows HSE’s
prosecution of a Rochdale company following an incident in which an employee
received serious injuries.
Newhey Carpets Ltd of Gordon Street, Newhey, Rochdale, were fined £1,600
ordered to pay £1,324 costs after pleading guilty to a breach of the Provision
and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998 at Trafford Magistrates Court.
The prosecution arose from an incident on 24 August 2006 in which Newhey employee
Gillian Handley, the main operator of a carpet-beaming machine, became entangled
in the revolving machinery.
She suffered a dislocated and broken shoulder, a gashed arm and multiple bruising
because the machinery guarding was not fixed or interlocked and the trip wire
was not in the correct position.
HSE Inspector Richard Clarke said:
"Gillian Handley was injured after she became caught in accessible rotating
machinery. After the incident, her jacket was found caught in a projecting
large metal pin attached to the machinery. Her injuries were serious enough,
but the consequences of this incident could have been far worse.
“This case graphically illustrates that companies should ensure that all
their machinery is adequately guarded for the safety of all employees.”