Ex-serviceman’s severed arm costs Transwaste Recycling £18,000 03 June 2011

An incident in which an ex-serviceman had his right forearm severed by a baling machine, while working at the Transwaste Recycling plant in 2009, has refocused attention on the Importance of machine guarding.

The HSE, in prosecuting site operator Transwaste Recycling and Aggregates, told Beverley Magistrates' Court that the machine's original protective guard had been damaged so was replaced with a makeshift contraption, which allowed access to the baling ram.

Mr Wright tripped on a scaffold tube in front of the machine and put his arm out to break the fall. However, his arm went into the baling chamber and was severed between his wrist and elbow. Surgery to re-attach the limb was unsuccessful and he now has a prosthetic limb.

Wright, who operated the machine regularly, had been used to working alone on site, as a few weeks earlier the company had moved the business to a purpose-built facility in Melton, East Yorkshire, leaving only baling machine and an operator at the plant in Hessle Dock.

Wright struggled to get help after the incident. In shock and badly injured, he attempted to ring for help on his mobile but dropped it and the battery fell out. He ran to get help and passed out before an ambulance arrived.

Investigating HSE inspector Chris Chambers makes the point that the accident could so easily have been avoided had the company made sure that the dangerous moving parts of this machine were properly guarded.

"The firm operates in a high-risk industry, which recognises the well-known dangers of baling machines and the history of serious and fatal injuries associated with their use," says Chambers.

"Worker safety should be paramount. All companies should make sure guards and protective devices are the correct ones and are maintained in efficient working order," he adds.

Worryingly, he also asserts that HSE's investigation revealed a health and safety consultancy business, used by the firm for several months prior to the incident, had undertaken a risk assessment on the machine, but failed to identify the guarding defects.

"We would strongly advise companies wanting to appoint consultants to use the Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register [OSHCR], set up this year, to find a suitably-qualified consultant in their area," warns Chambers.

Transwaste Recycling and Aggregates was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay £6,408 costs, after admitting a breach of PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations).

Brian Tinham

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Health & Safety Executive

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