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Fencing firm fined over horror accident
A FENCING manufacturer has been ordered to pay out almost £16,000 after a worker suffered severe injuries to his arm at a production plant in Sheffield.
Betafence, in Shepcote Lane, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for a serious safety breach in August 2009.
The firm, which employs 2,000 people worldwide, had previously been warned about machine guarding.
Sheffield Magistrates’ Court heard how a worker suffered a dislocated elbow and fractures to his lower arm as he tried to re-thread wire through a machine block.
He was mending a wire break in one of four rotating blocks in a wire drawing machine.
Each block had a moveable guard fitted with an interlocking device, which should switch off power when the guard is moved out of position.
The worker had his left arm through the rotating block when the machine started moving unexpectedly. He has since had three skin grafts and two metal plates fitted.
The investigation found that the interlock had failed to break the circuit and cut power.
Magistrates heard that Betafence’s checking system did not include checking interlock switches on moveable guards.
Betafence had been convicted in 2003 for a machinery safety incident and was also given previous enforcement notices by the HSE regarding guarding of machines, as well as several letters of advice about machinery guarding.
The firm, which is based in Belgium, was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay £3,762 costs for a breach of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations.
After the hearing, inspector Jill Thompson said: “The dangers of moving machinery are well known in industry and Betafence’s management of the risks posed to their workforce in this area has fallen below what is acceptable.
“This is an example of how a simple failure of a safety switch can result in life-changing injuries.”
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