Employer Slapped with £10,000 Fine for Worker’s Accident
3 March 2010
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has cautioned businesses about the risk of not insuring employees against injuries. The judgement in a case where an agency worker was injured in a workplace accident prompted the caution.
The HSE’s warning comes after a window manufacturer was asked to pay up £10,000 as fine over an incident in which a worker lost his finger. Investigation into the accident also revealed that the company had not insured its employees against injuries believing it was exempt from any such requirement because it primarily employed agency staff.
M&M Windows Ltd accepted charges of violating Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Section 1(1) of the Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969. Apart from the fine, Dudley Magistrates also ordered the company to pay costs of £2,500.
During the hearing of the case, the court was told that employee Jeremy Adams was cutting window frames on a double pivoting head mitre cutting saw on 19 May 2009, at the factory in Quarry Bank, Brierley Hill. During his work, he caught his hand in the blade due to which his left index finger was sliced off. His middle finger also required major surgery and reconstruction.
HSE inspector Jenny Skeldon held M&M Windows responsible for the mishap. She said that though the hazards with this machinery were very apparent, the employer had failed to take precautionary measures like ensuring that the dangerous parts of the machinery were inaccessible to those working on it. She said that the company should have acted with more foresight in employing preventive safety measures.
Skeldon also criticised the company for failing to provide accident insurance to its workers. She stressed that all companies must ensure their employees (agency workers or otherwise) are insured according to the work they undertake at the workplace.
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