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A firm has been fined £13,000 after an employee lost the tip of his finger in an unguarded drill.
Black Country Magistrates' Court heard the 32-year-old man, from Dudley, was drilling holes into metal components at H&H Alloy Sales Ltd when the incident happened on 18 December last year.
As he pushed a piece of metal which was not moving properly, his hand shot across it and his middle finger became caught on the drill bit. His glove became entangled so he was unable to pull it out.
He had to have the tip of his middle finger amputated and was off work for three months. However, when he returned in March this year, he suffered considerable discomfort and surgeons decided to amputate the finger further, to the first joint. He only went back to the factory three weeks ago.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the company had a documented safe system of work for the drill which stated that as part of the preparations for work, the guard should be placed in position and then checked by the operator to make sure it is correct. However, the guard had been removed at some point previously and never replaced. It was subsequently re-fitted after being found in a box.
H&H Alloy Sales Ltd, of Titford Lane, Rowley Regis, was also ordered to pay costs of £1,391 after pleading guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
(CD/JP)
