Timber firm fined after circular saw accident

Main Line Timber Limited, a timber gate manufacturer in Daventry was fined £11,000 (inc.costs) after a young employee lost two fingers on his left hand while working on machinery.

The circumstances were:

• The company had failed to ensure that required safety features were installed on a circular saw and to maintain the condition of the top guard on the saw.
• It was not fitted with a riving knife or ‘take off’ table.
• There was an unsafe system of work in place.
• In addition to these failings, employees did not received adequate training for use of the saw.
• On 25 July 2014 a 27-year-old employee was working on the saw alone
• He was both feeding and removing large pieces of timber from the saw when a piece of wood snagged and pulled his left hand into the blade. 
• The employee’s left hand was severely injured, and his little finger and ring finger were subsequently amputated.   

The HSE Inspector  said: “Had the company taken suitable measures to ensure workers did not come into contact with the rotating blade, had the saw been properly guarded and fitted with relevant safety features and had employees been provided with adequate training, this young man would not have lost two of his fingers.”