West Design Products Ltd, fined £95,184 after worker's fingers were crushed by unguarded machine

Plymouth based West Design Products Ltd, who manufacture and edit craft paper for retail, including printing, punching and cutting, were fined £95,184 (Inc.costs) after a worker suffered serious injuries when her hand was caught in machinery.

The circumstances were:

• The accident occurred on a paper punching machine used to punch holes so that paper sheets can be bound.
• Paper is inserted into a slot underneath a Perspex guard and the punch operation is activated by pressing a foot pedal on the floor. 
• There was no interlocking switch attached to the guard to prevent the use of the machine when the guard was removed. 
• There was also no shroud for the foot pedal to prevent accidental activation.
• On 14 September 2017, 22-year-old employee Charlotte Sargent was operating this machine.
• Neither Miss Sargent or her supervisor were suitably trained. 
• They had not been shown the operating manual or the safe system of work for the Punch machine before the incident.
• Whilst adjusting the settings of the machine, Miss Sargent placed her fingers between the die plates to tighten them in place. 
• Her foot inadvertently hit the unshrouded foot pedal. 
• The die plates moved up, crushing her fingers between the plates and a metal bar. 
• This led to the partial amputation of both her middle and index finger on her left hand.

The HSE inspector said:
“Miss Sargent’s injuries have been life changing. This incident was foreseeable and preventable.
Employers should make sure they properly assess and apply effective control measures to minimise the risk from dangerous parts of machinery.”