Hydraulic press accident results in prosecution
Two company directors have been prosecuted after an employee had his fingers crushed in a hydraulic press. The 57-year-old worker had the ends of two fingers severed in the incident in April 2009 at a metal fabricating company
During its investigations, the HSE found the photoelectric detectors, called light curtains, used to protect workers from the closing tools of the press, were not operational at the time of the incident and had been routinely over-ridden for a number of years. Magistrates heard the light curtains only became operational again following the serving of prohibition notices as part of HSE’s investigation.
Directors were found guilty of breaching regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
(Every employer shall ensure that measures are taken which are effective to prevent access to any dangerous part of machinery or to any rotating stock-bar; or to stop the movement of any dangerous part of machinery or rotating stock-bar before any part of a person enters a danger zone)
Light curtains need to be regularly checked to ensure that they are working effectively; and the best way for management to check this is being done is to have machine operators record these checks
For further information on health and safety in engineering workshops visit http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg129.htm or email Andrew on info@spectrumrisk.co.uk for a copy of the HSE Guidance
SOURCE HSE
