A man had his arm crushed while trying to feed metal sheeting through machinery, Bournemouth Crown Court has heard today.

David James, 34, of Queensland Road, Weymouth has been unable to return to his job because of the injury which caused him severe pain.

Aden Pro Form Ltd, of Parkstone Road, Poole, was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £17,104 in costs in the case brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) at Bournemouth Crown Court.

The court heard that the incident happened at a workshop in Westminster Road, Wareham in April 2009, when Mr James and a colleague were working on a machine producing flashings.

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The company had developed a system of working, whereby Mr James helped guide the metal sheets into the press brake by hand from the back of the machine, working inside the fence guard. The press brake is designed to work without the need for anyone manually feeding the metal through from the back of the machine, but the company believed it would be easier and produce a better quality product if they did so.

The press brake started as Mr James had his arm in the six inch gap in the press brake, trapping his arm in the machine as the aperture closed. Staff quickly released him and he was sent to hospital.

Both Mr James and his colleague had last received training on the machinery seven or eight years previously.

Aden Pro Form Ltd pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

(CD/GK)