The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a plastics recycling factory after a worker’s fingers were partially amputated in machinery.

In May 2009, the unnamed employee was trying to repair a drying unit at Roydon Granulation Ltd – based at Fishwicks Industrial Estate, Baxter’s Lane, in St Helen’s, Lancashire – when he suffered serious injuries to four fingers on his left hand, including the partial amputation of two fingers.

The HSE investigation found that the employee’s fingers had come into contact with the high-speed fan, which rotates 1,450 times a minute. HSE investigators concluded that the company’s procedure for repairing the machine was inadequate.

On Tuesday (25/05/10) at St Helen’s Magistrates’ Court, Roydon Granulation Ltd of Fieldhouse Road in Rochdale pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £4,347 costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Richard Clarke said:

‘One of the factory’s employees suffered serious injuries because basic health and safety procedures were not followed.

‘He has still not returned to work more than a year on from the incident.

‘By law, the preferred solution would have been for the workers to switch off and lock off the power supply to the fan with padlocks. If this was not possible, then temporary guards should have been put in place. These or other equally effective measures were not taken.

‘Sadly incidents like this are all too common – factories must treat the safety of their workers as a top priority to prevent serious injuries or even deaths in the future.’

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