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The HSE has prosecuted a recycling firm after an ex-serviceman had his lower arm cut off in a baling machine at its plant. The machine had been risk assessed by consultants who had overlooked poor guarding.
 

The worker tripped on a scaffold tube in front of the machine — a waste compactor – and put his arm out to break the fall. When he reached out, his arm went into the baling chamber, where it was severed between his wrist and elbow. Surgery to reattach the limb was unsuccessful and he now has a prosthetic limb.

He had been working alone on site for some weeks; after the incident, he tried to use his mobile phone to call for help, he dropped it on the ground where the battery fell out. When he could not replace the battery, he had to run to get help from a neighbouring firm. He passed out just after spotting and alerting a nearby van driver.

The investigation discovered that the Company had contracted a health and safety consultancy for the machine’s risk assessment, which had failed to identify the guarding defects.

“We would strongly advise companies wanting to appoint consultants to use the Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register, set up this year, to find a suitably-qualified consultant in their area,” the Inspector stated

The Company was fined £12,000 with costs of £6408 after it admitted breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, which requires employers to prevent access to dangerous machinery parts.