Biffa Waste Services fined following unguarded machine injury 08 April 2014

Biffa Waste Services has been fined £20,000 with £1,542 costs for safety breaches after an agency worker lost the tips of two fingers in unguarded machinery.

The worker was trying to remove tape that had become wrapped around the external chain drive of a sorting machine at the firm's Derby site, when the incident happened on 4 February 2013.

The court heard that his glove became entangled on the moving chains. Workers had not received adequate training in the safe isolation of the drive.

An HSE (Health and Safety Executive) investigation found the machine had been fitted with the external chain drive following a breakdown and brought back into use without adequate guarding.

"The company was fully aware of the requirement for the chains to be guarded and had made arrangements for guards to be added later that week, yet still allowed the machine to be used before that happened," states HSE inspector Edward Walker.

"As a result, a man suffered a painful injury that could have been prevented."

Brian Tinham

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Health & Safety Executive

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