Crushed arm leads to Fenner fine for workplace dangers

ERJ staff report (PR)

Industrial conveyor belts manufacturer JH Fenner & Co Ltd (Fenner) has been prosecuted for neglecting the safety of its staff after an agency worker had an arm dragged into a machine.

Jamie Rignall suffered severe crush injuries in the incident at the Marfleet Avenue factory of the Hull, UK-based company, which trades as Fenner Dunlop Europe, the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said 1 April.

Hull magistrates heard that on 27 Sept 2012, Rignall was smoothing down a rubber-and-fabric web that was feeding into a winding machine. However, his hand and then arm were drawn into the nip of the wind-up roller and became trapped.

The worker managed to reach a safety bar to stop the winder and was freed by colleagues. He has since, though, needed three operations to remove swelling in his arm and skin grafts to repair the damage.

HSE’s investigation found there were no fixed or interlocked guards, light curtains, pressure mats or trip wires on the machine to prevent workers accessing dangerous parts. Fenner, it added, had not identified the risks of being drawn into the winding mechanisms.

During its investigation, the HSE said it witnessed similar hazards to workers on another machine, which had no safety measures protecting them from the hazards of the in-running nip.

Fenner was prosecuted on 1 April for safety breaches related to insufficient guarding on a number of machines. The company was fined a total of £7,500 and ordered to pay £958 in costs after admitting two breaches of safety regulations.

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Press release