A company in Bradford has been fined £120,000 after an employee's hand was amputated by a machine he was trained on for just a few minutes.

The 22-year-old casual worker at RDB Fabrication and Engineering went to operate machine used to bend metal called a 'press brake'. He had not used it before, and was given only 10 minutes' training.

The machine was fitted with an electronic motion guard that should have stopped it moving if someone's hand, arm or other part of their body entered the danger zone.

However, when the employee reached into the machine to move a part, the detector didn't work, and his left hand was amputated when the pressing tool came down on his wrist.

The company was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for breaching Regulation 11(b) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 by failing to ensure the machine was adequately guarded. As well as the fine, it was ordered to pay £2,000 costs.

Veronica Male, a legal executive and personal injury specialist, said: "This prosecution highlights HSE concerns that employees working with dangerous machinery aren't being properly protected."

The HSE inspector involved in the case said: "The dangers of working with press brakes are well known in the industry, and there have been many instances of workers being seriously injured.

"That's why these machines are fitted with guards to prevent access to the danger zone. In this case, the company's failure to ensure these guards were effective had tragic consequences."

Veronica added: "Employers are required to ensure under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 that equipment provided for use by employees is suitably guarded, and is adequately inspected and maintained. This accident could have been avoided if the employer had complied with the regulations.

"It's important, particularly in the current economic climate, that employers don't cut corners when it comes to training, maintenance and equipment inspection, and make employees' safety a priority, thereby helping avoid accidents at work."

Further details of the HSE prosecution can be found here.

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