The unnamed 32-year-old employee was working at the firm’s Covent Garden Close materials recycling facility (MRF) in Luton on February 28 2014 when his arm was dragged into the rollers of a moving conveyor belt as he attempted to remove a blockage on one of the machines.
The machine had been turned off by the control room operator in order for the employee to clear the blockage, but the Court heard that the company’s lock-off and isolation procedure had not been followed on site for some time.
As the employee attempted to remove some waste from the machine’s rollers the power was turned back on by the control room operator and his arm was pulled into the rollers.
As a result, the man sustained serious fractures and required three metal plates in his left arm, which he is still unable to use, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
He will need further operations involving transplanting bone from his hip. However, with no guarantee the operations will be successful, HSE said it is unlikely he will be able to do manual work again.
Investigation
An investigation by HSE found that F&R Cawley’s procedures for lock-off/isolation and clearing blockages was “inadequate”, while the computer system in the control room had not been working properly for “some time”.
Furthermore, it found that walkie-talkie radios were faulty and blockage team members were inadequately supervised and trained. In addition, HSE said the injured worker was not suitably trained to work as a mechanic.
The Court was told that a previous inspection by HSE in 2012 requested the company to review their blockage processes after it was observed they were not following safe procedures. The potential for a breakdown in communication between the blockage team and the person in the control room was also discussed, HSE said.
The company provided a new documented procedure but the court heard it fell into disuse within weeks. The Judge was satisfied that HSE’s 2012 intervention constituted a “warning that was ignored” and that if they had followed their own procedure, the chance of this accident happening was remote.
AS a result, F & R Cawley Limited of 1 Covent Garden Close, Luton, pleaded guilty to breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act, 1974 and was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £20,763.
Following sentencing HSE Inspector Andrew McGill said: “This worker has been left unable to work following an incident that could easily have been avoided if the company had ensured their staff were properly trained and supervised.
“This man used to enjoy cycling with his two children but now can’t do this or any other active play with them”.
F&R Cawley Ltd has been contacted by letsrecycle.com for comment.
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