"worker had to have fingers and a thumb amputated...."

Preventing hand injuries is a focus throughout our industry. Here is a recent incident emphasizing the importance of preventing hand injuries.

A forging firm has been fined in October 2019 after a worker had to have fingers and a thumb amputated following an incident while he was undertaking a setting procedure on an Upset Forging Machine at its location in Europe.

A local Magistrates’ Court heard that on June 2018 a forger at a forging company had his left hand crushed between dies and moving parts on a press. Following hospital treatment his thumb, index finger and part of his middle finger had to be amputated.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had failed to ensure that effective measures were taken to prevent access to the dangerous parts, namely gripping dies and heading tool of an Upset Forging Machine while undertaking setting procedures.

The forging company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The company has been fined £1,500 and ordered to pay costs of £2,511.11.

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector said. “The implementation of an isolation procedure for the setting of the machine would have ensured that the machine could not have operated whilst the forger was setting the machine; which would have prevented the forger from losing significant parts of his hand.

“Employers should make sure they properly assess and apply effective control measures to eliminate or minimise the risk from dangerous parts of machinery”.

We pray that the injured worker will be given both the physical and mental counseling to have a productive life. In addition we pray that if the worker cannot perform his job due to his physical disability that the company assign him to another position without a loss in pay. Which we feel is a reasonable request.

Please comment.