Firm fined over severed fingertipAn accident which resulted in a worker severing one of his fingertips because of a badly maintained dough dividing machine at a food factory in Southall has led to the company responsible being fined £20,000.
Noon Products, based in Thorpe Lea Road, Egham, Surrey, admitted a breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act and was also ordered to pay costs of £5,491 at the City of London Magistrates' Court.
The incident happened on February 17, 2007, when a worker was asked to repair the dough divider machine at the company's Collett Way premises in Southall.
The worker removed a guard and was cleaning the middle part of the machine with a screw driver and an air gun, but as he put his right hand into the enclosed space, a dangerous part of the machine severed the tip of his right index finger.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found the machine to be in a poor state of repair and crucial safety devices were broken or had been removed. In particular, the display screen which provided safety information to the operator was illegible and critical safety switches were disconnected.
The company had already been served with an Improvement Notice for a separate incident, which should have alerted them to proper maintenance systems throughout the general workplace.
Copyright © Press Association 2009
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