Apprentice dragged into machine

An employers’ liability holder have been prosecuted after an apprentice experienced a horrific accident whilst at work.

A 17 year old worker was an apprentice at General All Purpose (GAP) Plastic’s Blackburn factory. He was was helping to assemble decorative panels for doors when he was dragged in between two rollers while trying to clear a jam. The incident dislocated his left shoulder and broke his arm. The worker still hasn’t regained full use of his hand almost 2 years later.

An investigation by the health and safety executive (HSE) found the company did not take adequate steps to prevent access to the most dangerous part of the machine. GAP Plastics should have provided fixed guards covering dangerous parts of the machine. The additional risk posed by the worker's lack of experience had also not been assessed.

At Carlisle Magistrates’ Court, General All Purpose (GAP) Plastics Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The company was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £4,500 in costs.

Michael Griffiths, the investigating inspector at HSE, said:

“This was a particularly nasty incident which left a young man with long-term and potentially debilitating injuries. It is essential that companies assess the safety of the machinery they use. In this case the way in which the machinery was configured meant that it had become dangerous.”

“Employers should always check the safety of their machines for the way they are used on site. Otherwise, there is the potential for workers to be put at risk of serious injury or even death.”

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