Textile Worker Injures Hand after it becomes Stuck in Machine
A textile worker suffered a hand injury after it became stuck in a machine during a work accident.
The unnamed man was working for Whitaker Fibres Ltd at the time of the accident in April 2011. He had been employed by the firm – who trade under the name Howarth Scouring Company – for just one month at the time.
His roll as a wool sorter did not involve using any machinery. However, on the day of the accident, he had been asked to clean debris from the trays of a machine. The machine was used to untangle wool fibres, but the man had had no training on using the machine safely.
Whilst he was cleaning the trays, his hand was accidentally pulled into the moving parts of the machine. The glove he was wearing was shredded and his hand was stuck for a while before he managed to wriggle free.
The worker suffered a serious hand injury in the accident. He suffered bad lacerations, as well as nerve and tendon damage that has left him with restricted movement in two of his fingers.
The Health and Safety Executive prosecuted the company for health and safety breaches in regards to the accident. They had not given the man training or provided him with a safe system of work for emptying the trays. They had also not taken steps to prevent access to dangerous moving parts of the machine.
The firm were fined £5,000 at Bradford Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
