Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court heard how on 12 May 2014 a worker at Fiberweb Geosynthetics of Essex was unblocking plastic film in an extrusion line which was jamming the production run. As the worker attempted to flip the product over the roller, his left hand was drawn into the moving rollers causing severe lacerations and crush injuries. As he struggled to prevent himself being drawn into the mechanism, his right hand was also caught by the roller, ripping out his middle finger nail.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive into the incident, found that the machine lacked any means of isolating its dangerous parts and no safe system of work was in place for clearing product jams. Despite previous enforcement action against a different legal entity of the firm involving the same machine, and a later risk assessment identifying the persistent risks with it, the Company failed to take any action.
Fiberweb Geosynthetics, of Blackwater Trading Estate, The Causeway, Maldon Essex, pleaded guilty to offences under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
