Yorkshire firm fined £140,000 after apprentice injured by guillotine
A Rotherham steel engineering and manufacturing factory has been fined £140,000, after an apprentice was injured by a metal cutting guillotine.
The unnamed 17-year-old was cutting sheet metal in preparation for welding practice as part of their apprenticeship training at MTL Advanced Ltd in Brinsworth, in November 2024, when the accident happened.
The apprentice, who was in the training workshop, made several successful cuts, but on the final cut their thumb came into contact with the machine's clamps, causing a crush injury.
The HSE launched an investigation and identified, from documents provided by the company before an on-site visit, that a large gap in the bed of the guillotine was allowing access to dangerous parts of the machinery.
HSE said the company had failed to identify the risk even after the incident had taken place.
A prohibition notice was served.
An inspection of the workshop revealed “additional health and safety failings”, HSE said, including access to live electrical parts and further instances of unguarded dangerous machinery.
MTL Advanced Ltd, of Britannia House, Junction Street, Darwen, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
The company was fined £140,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,013, with a victim surcharge of £2,000, at Sheffield Magistrates' Court.