Essex recycling company GBN Services Ltd has been ordered to pay more than 30,000 after a worker had his arm caught in a moving conveyor belt in Harlow last year.
The 30-year-old employee, who does not wish to be named, was working at GBN Services Harlow materials recycling facility (MRF) at Maple River Industrial Estate when the incident happened on May 29 2013.
Colchester Magistrates Court was told was yesterday (June 19) that the worker was attempting to realign the in-feed conveyor belt on a newly-installed waste separating machine. Power to the machine had been turned off and a protective guard removed to enable access to the belt.
However, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the worker reactivated the power to the machine after completing his task and his left arm was drawn in between the two belts. He suffered crush injuries as a result but has now returned to work part-time on light duties.
An investigation by the HSE found that GBN Services Ltd, which has five recycling sites in the South East, had failed to implement its own isolation and lock-off procedures at the Harlow site.
And, following its investigation, HSE inspected GBNs site in Southend and had to issue three Prohibition Notices immediately halting dangerous activity, plus a notice requiring specified improvements.
Enforcement
‘Incidents involving unguarded machinery are all too common and the onus is on employers to ensure safe and robust systems of work are in place to protect workers from dangerous moving parts of machinery.’
HSE inspector Corinne Godfrey
In addition, HSE said, the court was told the company had previously been served with a number of enforcement notices, including one for a similar guarding failing at a London site.
GBN Services Ltd of Broomfield Road, Chelmsford, Essex was fined 28,000 and ordered to pay costs of 2,777 after pleading guilty to breaches of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Following the case, HSE inspector Corinne Godfrey said: Incidents involving unguarded machinery are all too common and the onus is on employers to ensure safe and robust systems of work are in place to protect workers from dangerous moving parts of machinery. GBN Services failed to heed previous advice from HSE relating to conveyor guarding at its other sites.
She said that several deaths and 40,000 injuries occurred each year due to incidents where workers have been using machines, but that most of these are easily prevented.
The HSE inspector added: In this case, it was not even necessary to remove the conveyor guard to adjust the belt as the design meant the belt could be adjusted with the guard still in place. However, the worker was not aware as staff had not been trained to repair or maintain the machine.
Recycling and skip hire firm GBN Services manages commercial, construction and household waste on behalf of customers across London and the South East of England. When contacted by letsrecycle.com, GBN Services were unavailable for comment.
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