Precision Colour Printing fined £28,547 for two accidents where risk assessments were inadequate

Precision Colour Printing was fined £28,547 (inc.costs) for safety breaches after two employees were injured in separate incidents involving a printing press and a palletising machine.

The circumstances were:

• The risk assessments in place were not suitable and sufficient
• They did not consider the risks of clearing blockages or dealing with misaligned paper logs.
• As a consequence, employees had not been provided with safe systems of work, sufficient information, instruction or training for such tasks.
• On 17 October 2018, an employee sustained a de-gloving injury when his hand was dragged into the rollers of a printing press, as he cleared a blockage.
• On 18 January 2019, another employee was dealing with a misaligned paper log on a palletiser machine. 
• The clamping arm descended and crushed his hand, breaking his wrist.

The HSE inspector said:
“These incidents could so easily have been avoided by simply identifying and implementing appropriate control measures and safe working practices. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”