Builders Merchant worker loses finger when glove gets entangled in table saw

Llanharan Concrete Co. Limited has been fined after a worker was injured when his glove got entangled with the moving blade of a table saw.

Cardiff Magistrates’ Court heard how the employee of the company was cutting wood with a table saw when his glove got entangled, pulling his finger into contact with it. The injured worker was rushed to hospital where he underwent surgery to amputate the top of his left index finger to the first knuckle.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found there was a lack of supervision, no risk assessment or safe system of work was in place for using the table saw, and no training was given to the worker before using the saw. This was despite the company having previously been advised by a HSE inspector, and their own health and safety consultants, to implement safe systems of work for their machinery.

Llanharan Concrete Co. Limited of Llanharry Road, Llanharan, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999 and has been fined £6,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,889.

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Lee Jones said, “This injury could have easily been prevented had the risk been identified.

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