Worker suffers life-changing injury

Company fined after worker suffers life-changing injury  Date:21 September 2018

Timberline DIY Limited has today been sentenced after an employee injured three of his fingers while cleaning a band re-saw.

South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 30 June 2016, the worker was cleaning the saw at the premises on Riley Street, Jarrow, when he made contact with a moving blade. As a result of his injuries, the worker was rushed to hospital where he had to have three of his fingers partially amputated.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the machine was not effectively braked and therefore the cutting blade took an excessive time to stop. Additionally, there were failings in the guarding of the machine and adequate training had not been provided to the worker.

Timberline DIY Limited, of Riley Street, Jarrow, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £40,000 with £8,000 costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Fiona McGarry said: “Woodworking machines run at very high speeds and workers are at risk during machine rundown. Fitting effective braking devices reduces the rundown time, making them safer for workers and this could have prevented this incident occurring. New machines should come with braking where necessary but older machines may require it to be retrofitted.’’

Notes to Editors:
1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. www.hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
3. More information on retrofitting woodworking machine brakes can be found here: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis38.pdf
4. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk