Nottingham Crown Court heard how on 3 June 2013 a worker at SPS Aerostructures of Nottinghamshire was cleaning excess metal ‘swarf’ from a conveyor to try to clear a blockage. One of the guards to the conveyor had been removed and the worker slipped and fell into it whilst it was running. The worker was trapped in the machine for approximately twenty minutes.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive into the incident, found that the company failed to prevent access to dangerous parts of the conveyor. Employees were routinely accessing the conveyor without first isolating it, and the guards were easily removed which allowed access to the conveyor while it was still running.
SPS Aerostructures, Sherwood Business Park, Annesley, Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to offences under Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER).
