The cost of unsafe working practices

The machine amputated his right hand index finger, broke his middle finger and left him with severe cuts to his other fingers. He also suffered associated nerve and tendon damage to his hand, which still affects his daily activities – small tasks like doing up a shirt button cause difficultly because of the numbness and constant pain. He was unable to return to work following the incident and is currently unemployed.

The joinery company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and as well as the fine, it was also ordered to pay £1,000 costs.

Following the hearing, the HSE said that the company failed in its role to protect its workers by not properly guarding this machine. The employee should never have been placed in the position he was, and is now suffering long-term debilitating injuries as a consequence.  The firm should have also put in place a safe tooling arrangement, which would have helped to prevent the severity of the employee’s injuries.

This clearly illustrates the need for employers to fully assess the dangers associated with their work. In this case, the risks associated with woodworking machinery are well known, and should have been adequately controlled.

Workplace accident claims involving defective or dangerous machinery very often feature serious injuries of some description or another. As can be seen in extreme cases, workers can lose digits, limbs or even their lives as a result of working in hazardous environments, which is why it is so crucial that employers take their health and safety responsibilities seriously. Numerous accident claims are brought each year by workers in the UK’s manufacturing industry and, in many cases, the accidents were entirely avoidable.

Remember – Avoid the costs of illness, accidents and incidents at work

Failing to establish and implement good health and safety policies and procedures could be an expensive mistake. The illnesses and accidents you risk could bring a range of costs, including:

–         the wages of the people who are ill or injured, plus the costs of covering their jobs

–         lost productivity caused by disruption to your business and inexperienced replacements

–         damage to products, equipment or your premises

–         costs of investigating and correcting the problem

–         fines and legal costs if you’re prosecuted

–         compensation if you are responsible for accidents that cause injury or damage to individuals or property

–         increased insurance premiums

In a small business, the costs can be particularly high. For example, if one key employee is off sick, you may be unable to complete an order in time. You could even lose a customer.

Remember also that advice on any health & safety matter is no more than a phone call away. We can provide help on these and many other issues so do not hesitate to call us or refer to the many guidance documents available on the Publications area of the website.