A man lost a finger after reaching into a bottle capping machine to remove a blockage to help a colleague, an inquiry heard.
Daniel Richardson was working at Sourcing International Limited, trading as Drinks Chef, in Wigston, Leicestershire, when he reached into the firm's bottle capping machine to help a colleague and had his finger amputated by a descending capper.
The tip of Mr Richardson's finger was cleanly severed in the incident at the Chartwell Drive site on January 17, 2022, and despite efforts at Leicester Royal Infirmary, it could not be reattached. It had to be amputated between the first and second knuckle in what inspectors have now called an "avoidable" incident.
The Health and Safety Executive launched an investigation and found that Sourcing International Limited had failed to adequately guard against access to dangerous parts of machinery. In this instance, the company had neglected to replace fixed guarding on the bottle capping machine, which was frequently used without it.
It was discovered that an interlock device, which should have cut the power and halted the machine when guards were open elsewhere, was not working. This dangerous oversight allowed access to the machine's moving parts.
The company's negligence breached HSE guidelines on machinery safety for workers and the requirement for proper maintenance arrangements. Consequently, HSE inspectors, with the backing of enforcement lawyer Sam Crockett, took legal action against the firm, reports Leicestershire Live.
On Wednesday, April 24, at Loughborough Magistrates' Court, Sourcing International Limited admitted to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The business faced a hefty fine of £14,000 and was also ordered to pay costs amounting to £4,175.79.
HSE inspector Rebecca Gibson commented post-trial: "This tragic incident highlights the duty on employers to ensure machinery, and other work equipment, is safe for use. Suitable guards would render dangerous parts of machinery inaccessible during normal use and would have avoided this serious injury to Mr Richardson."