West Yorkshire company fined after employees fingers almost severed in machine
Askern UK Ltd admitted to breaching health and safety rules - after the incident in 2024.
A manufacturer in South Kirkby has been fined almost £25,000, after an incident where an employee's fingers were partially severed by machinery.
Askern UK Limited, which makes wooden cable drums, was taken to court by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after the incident on March 8 2024.
The 57-year-old woman’s fingers were drawn into a printing machine she was cleaning, when she managed to raise the machine's guard and override a mechanism intended to prevent people being injured by a set of rollers inside.
The HSE found that identified that Askern failed to prevent access to dangerous parts of its printing machine and neglected maintenance and training provision for employees.
Askern UK Limited admitted to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 at at Leeds Magistrates’ Court earlier this week.
The company was fined £24,395, with an additional £5,000 in costs and a victim surcharge of £2,000.
HSE inspector Shauna Halstead said: "An employee was tasked with cleaning the printer without provision of suitable information, instruction or training, particularly in relation to the safety devices intended to protect them."
“A suitable interlock and employee training would have prevented this incident”