Employee Suffered Arm Injury in Sheffield Accident

Betafence Ltd, an internationally renowned fencing firm, with a production plant in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, has been fined £12,000 after one of its employees suffered a serious arm injury.

On 7 August 2009, the worker (who has remained unnamed) was mending a wire break in one of four rotating blocks of a wire drawing machine. The process should be that once a block is moved out of position, the moveable guard, with interlocking device, should automatically switch off the power to the block.

The worker had to put his left arm through the rotating block and was shocked when the machine restarted abruptly. He suffered a severe arm injury, dislocating his elbow and having part of his skin ripped off. He also suffered a compound fracture to his lower arm. The interlock had failed to break the circuit and cut power to the block as it was designed to do, meaning that the worker was in immediate danger of sustaining a severe arm injury.

Arm Injury Caused by Repeated Safety Failures

The HSE discovered how the company had a safety system in place for checking guards on the machines, but this system did not include a checking operation of the functioning of the interlock switches on the moveable guards.

It was not the first time that Betafence Ltd has come under the spotlight for safety incidents involving its machinery. It had previously been convicted in 2003 and had enforcement notices placed upon it for its machinery on two separate occasions.

The HSE inspector, Jill Thompson, stated after the case that the moving machinery used within Betafences’s plants are well known within the industry and that a level of safety was nowhere near the acceptable levels.

“This is an example of how a simple failure of a safety switch can result in life-changing injuries. Had the company included safety switch checking as part of the guard checking system, this incident would probably have been avoided.

“Prevention of access to moving parts of machinery is a clear duty upon employers and includes making sure that safety features of machines are maintained effectively.”

Have You Suffered an Arm Injury in the Workplace?

Victoria is a specialist personal injury solicitor who can help you to claim work injury compensation for your arm injury

If you have suffered an arm injury due to an accident in the workplace, or any other type of personal injury, you could be entitled to seek compensation. Here at Duncan Gibbins we have a proud history of helping clients from all walks of life and from all over the country to successfully claim personal injury compensation.

We can put you in touch with rehabilitation experts if required, and can also take all the hassle away from you with a no win no fee agreement that leaves you with no legal fees to pay, and the complexities of a case out of your hands.

Call us today on 0800 0193 515 to speak to one of our work injury specialists, or you can click here and request a telephone appointment.