A firm in Nuneaton has appeared in court after one of its employees broken his neck whilst working with an unguarded machine.
The 60-year-old machinist was working for Nuneaton Precisions Ltd and machining a piece of nylon when the incident occurred in September 2013, Nuneaton Magistrates’ Court heard last week (17th February).
His overalls got tangled in the spindle moulder and he broke two bones in his neck as a result of the incident. He also suffered a fractured right shoulder and split ear, which left him needing stitches and plastic surgery as a result. He was admitted to hospital for eight days and couldn’t return to work for ten months, however he has returned to work for the same company.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the interlocks on the machine had been altered at the time of the incident, leaving them totally ineffective. In addition, the spindle moulder, which should have been behind closed doors, was not locked away at all and instead the machine was operating under the assumption that it was safe to do so.
The company was fined a total of £10,000 along with costs of £1,252 after it pleaded guilty to breaching the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
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