A multinational precious metals and chemical company has appeared in court after an employee sustained a serious hand injury at a plant in Royston, Hertfordshire.

The worker, who does not want to be named, severed two fingers whilst operating a 10-tonne power hammer at a site operated by Johnson Matthey Plc, on Orchard Road, on 30 March 2011.

Hertford Magistrates' Court heard that he was using the machine to crush waste pieces of metal when he inadvertently caught his left hand under the automatic hammer. Such was the force of the machine it crushed and effectively severed his index and middle fingers below the second knuckle.

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The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the incident and found the hammer was unguarded and wasn't being used in the correct manner.

HSE also established that the machine was regularly used in this way - a dangerous practice that should have been stopped.

Johnson Matthey Plc, whose UK head office is based at Farringdon Street, London, was fined a total of £20,000 and ordered to pay £2,194 in costs after pleading guilty to two charges under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

(CD/GK)