A stationery company in Wembley, North London has been prosecuted after a worker sustained permanent injuries after receiving a high-voltage electric shock from machinery.

In June 2007, the unnamed employee was investigating a fault on a plastic welding machine at Chart Design Ltd, when his fingers came into close contact with machine parts and was permanently injured from the shock that resulted.

His right hand and forearm were severely burned and he also suffered permanent damage to muscles. He spent 14 days in hospital and has since had to undergo skin grafts to his forearm. He has not regained full use of his arm and has not been able to return to work since the accident.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that guard panels which should have prevented access to live circuits had been removed.

Inspectors discovered that the company did not keep a record of maintenance checks for any of the machines at the factory – and the company had no first aiders on site.

On Tuesday (01/06/10) at the City of London Magistrates’ Court, Chart Design Ltd of Luxton Close, Dury Way in Wembley pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £6,330 costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Kerry Williams said that it was the responsibility of all managers to make sure that all maintenance work was ‘properly planned and recorded’ – and that adequate guards were fitted to all machinery when in use.

‘A man’s life has been turned upside down because of entirely preventable and basic safety failings,’ said Ms Williams.

‘If these simple things had been done it is unlikely that he would have suffered these horrendous injuries. But this incident could have been much worse – instead of losing the feeling in his fingers, he could have lost his life.’

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