One work accident claim led to the near dismemberment of one furniture assembly worker from Burnham-on-Crouch when a cross-cut saw nearly removed his arm from his body.
The accident claim occurred just ten weeks after Daniel Gaskin had been hired as a furniture assembler for Essex-based Machine Hire Ltd located in Burnham Business Park. Mr Gaskin suffered a severe personal injury claim that nearly resulted in his left arm getting sliced clean off while he was operating the saw during the course of his work.
Shortly after the accident occurred the Health and Safety Executive launched an investigation into the incident. The HSE’s findings revealed that prior to being assigned to work the industrial saw he had received just five minutes’ worth of training on its use. The highly dangerous piece of machinery was found to be particularly unsuited to a novice worker due to its complexity and its potential for harm.
During a hearing at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court the company was assessed a fine of £12,500 for their role in breaching Health and Safety of Work violations. Additionally the firm now faces a further £3,000 in costs after admitting those breaches.
One HSE inspector commented on the incident, describing it as being a completely preventable one. The inspector added that in order to achieve a high level of competency on the part of employees, firms needed to employ instructors that would provide proper training and who were available to supervise machinery operation going forward as well.
In related news, recently released statistics detail that while working for manufacturing companies in the East of England, 342 workers suffered serious injuries over the past 12 months. Statistics were not available regarding how many of those workers go on to file work accident claims for compensation however.