Woodworking company fined £59,000 after worker became entnagled in unguarded driveshaft

Woodworking company, Peter Ramsey & Sons (Denholme) Timber Ltd, was fined £59,484 (inc. costs) after a worker became entangled in an unguarded drive shaft and suffered serious injuries.

The circumstances were:

• The accident occurred on a wood planer.
• A new conveyor line had been installed and the planer then had an unguarded rotating driveshaft.
• No risk assessments had been carried out which, if done correctly, would have identified the risk posed by this.
• On 8 March 2018, a worker reached over the driveshaft to reach some wood.
• His hi-vis jacket and t-shirt became entangled, drawing him into the machine. 
• He sustained a torn tendon in his left fourth finger, a broken left wrist, a break to his little finger and nerve damage to his left arm.

The HSE inspector commented:
“The company should have produced a detailed risk assessment when the conveyor was added to the existing machine. This could have identified that there was an unguarded rotating drive shaft which required guarding to prevent access. This injury could have been easily prevented, and the risk should have been identified.”