NEWSFLASH
IN THE COURTS
HOTEL CHOCOLAT PROSECUTED AFTER WORKER’S HAND DRAGGED
INTO MACHINE Famous chocolate manufacturer Hotel Chocolat is in court after a worker suffered serious hand and arm injuries whilst cleaning a machine tank.
Piotr Podgorski, 35, from Bretton, in Peterborough, was working as a cell supervisor for the company in August last year when he was asked to clean the tank of a chocolate enrobing machine so it could be reassembled for production.
Peterborough Magistrates’ Court heard Mr Podgorski was emptying the tank when a blue cloth he was holding became entangled in the stirrer mechanism. The cloth continued to wrap around his finger, twisting his arm and then tearing the finger off, stripping the tendon from his arm.
PIRELLI TYRES FINED AFTER APPRENTICE
INJURED The international tyre manufacturer Pirelli Tyres Limited has been prosecuted after a 17-year-old apprentice suffered serious injuries to his hands while using a metalwork lathe.
The teenager was making a trolley for a tool box in August last year at the firm’s site in Burton where he was working as a mechanical maintenance apprentice.
Stafford Magistrates’ Court heard the apprentice was making a spindle for the wheels of the trolley using an emery cloth whilst wearing gloves to perfect the finish. The spindle was fitted to a lathe and the cloth
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He was unable to work for over two months and still suffers with depression and nightmares about the incident.
A Health and Safety Executive investigation found the company’s risk assessment process failed to recognise the hazard posed by the rotating stirrer and therefore failed to effectively prevent access to the dangerous parts of the machinery.
Hotel Chocolat pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, and regulation 3(1) (a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. The company was fined a total of £25,000
snagged pulling Mr Powell into the lathe. He suffered several breaks to his fingers and wrist and one finger was partially severed.
Following the incident the injured worker has had three operations on his hands including metal pins fitted and his partially severed finger may still need to be amputated.
The HSE carried out an investigation which revealed there were very few control measures in place to prevent the incident. It was common practice for employees to use emery cloth to polish using lathes but no risk assessment was in place for this activity. HSE also discovered that the training of apprentices at Pirelli Tyres on this matter was insufficient.
Pirelli Tyres Limited pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act, 1974
and ordered to pay costs of £2,521.26 and a victim surcharge of £200.
Speaking after sentencing, HSE Inspector Roxanne Barker said: “This serious injury was entirely preventable. The risks associated with rotating parts are well known and span many industries. The risk posed by the unguarded stirrer should have been obvious.
“The company should have put measures in place to prevent access to the dangerous parts of the machinery, not rely on the operator to isolate it. Following the incident they took the decision to fit interlocks and E-Stops to the tank units on 12 of these machines.”
and section 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and were fined a total of £28,000. The company was also ordered to pay costs of £1418.60 and a victim surcharge of £120.
Speaking after the hearing HSE Inspector Wayne Owen said: “It is entirely foreseeable that if emery cloth is used on a lathe incorrectly then serious injury could occur.
“HSE has a specific information sheet on this practice and had this been followed by the company and a suitable risk assessment carried out, this incident could have been prevented. Every year there are serious accidents involving the use of emery cloths on metalworking lathes.
“Pirelli Tyres Limited has since taken action to deal with the deficiencies we identified during this investigation.”
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