Plastics Company Fined

A Swansea company which manufactures plastic sheeting has been fined after a maintenance employee suffered serious injury when his hand was caught and dragged into machinery, whilst attempting to repair a break in the plastic sheeting.
As the maintenance engineer was rethreading broken plastic sheeting into a pinch roll, his gloved hand was caught and dragged into the rollers. The first finger on his right hand was so badly damaged it was surgically removed below the knuckle.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident, found that there was inadequate guarding along the length of the production line, despite the maintenance engineers having identified the risks.
The Company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, and was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6,018.