Main Line Timber has been fined £10,000 with costs of £1,000 after an employee lost two fingers on his left hand while working on machinery.

The 27-year-old employee of the Daventry-based timber gate manufacturer was pulled into the rotating blade of an inadequately guarded circular saw on 25 July 2014.

The saw was not fitted with a riving knife or 'take off' table when the incident happened.

Northampton Magistrates' Court heard that the employee had been working on the saw alone and was both feeding and removing large pieces of timber from the saw when a piece of wood snagged and pulled his left hand into the blade.

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The workers left hand was severely injured, with his little finger and ring finger subsequently amputated.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had failed to ensure that required safety features were installed on the machine and to maintain the condition of the top guard on the saw.

In addition, the employee did not receive adequate training for use of the saw and there was an unsafe system of work in place.

Main Line Timber pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Jenna McDade, said: "Had the company taken suitable measures to ensure workers did not come into contact with the rotating blade, had the saw been properly guarded and fitted with relevant safety features and had employees been provided with adequate training, this young man would not have lost two of his fingers."

(LM)