HSE hits out at lax machine guarding

Injuries caused by inadequate guarding were "far too common" the safety watchdog claimed after successfully prosecuting a Warwick manufacturer for safety breaches. HSE inspector Mark Austin said: "The requirement to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery is long-standing, as is the need to ensure that workers have proper instructions and information when operating machinery." Austin added: "Employers have no excuse for failing to deal with such obvious risks to health and safety." The commemnts came as automotive firm Grupo Antolin Leamington was fined over £5,000 after a worker's finger was sliced off while working at the company's Midlands factory. Ajit Kandola, 37, of Leamington Spa, was cleaning debris from the rotating drive wheel of a foam-slicing machine when the moving blade severed half the index finger of his right hand. An HSE investigation found Grupo Antolin Leamington should have taken measures to ensure workers could not touch the blade while it was rotating. An interlocking guard to stop power to the blade as soon as the machine door was opened should have been fitted. Grupo Antolin Leamington pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 8(1) and 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. Kandola, now has difficulty carrying out a number of everyday tasks and finds writing awkward and painful, Leamington Spa Magistrates' Court heard