The owner of a wood-processing plant has been fined £20,000 and ordered to pay over £6,000 in costs after a worker had his foot completely severed by a log shavings machine. An accident occurred when the employee was using a chainsaw to deal with a log that had become stuck on the conveyor. He lost his balance, which resulted in his foot becoming caught in the 48 razor-sharp revolving blades of the machine.

The HSE investigation found that the company had failed to ensure that safe systems of work were in place and that fixed guarding, to prevent access, was only installed after the incident.

The HSE inspector said: "This case illustrates the personal consequences suffered by employees when workplace risks are not managed effectively. Employers who operate machinery are required to identify the risks associated with its use and establish what needs to be put in place so that work can be carried out safely. Safe systems of work should be devised and implemented, including the provision of appropriate worker training, supervision and personal protective equipment."

Wemtech has seen many examples of machinery where risks are mitigated by only training the users, instead of reducing the risks by other means. This case highlights the importance of machines being designed to be inherently safe and to be used in conjunction with other provisions, such as training, to ensure a safe system of work.

Excerpts of this story are taken from HSE website June 2010.