Risk news

Even the most experienced workers in any industry can be involved in accidents and ones which could have been avoided at that.

It is up to employers to make sure that as well as safety equipment being put in place, staff are properly trained to use it properly and they understand dangerous situations.

An experienced technician died while trying to fix a machine at a plastic moulding factory and was crushed with the force of 1,000 tonnes.

One of the safety features of the machine was that when a guard was lifted the mechanism was disabled and therefore could not be run.

The technician gained access to the machine through an exposed gap instead of by lifting the guard, thus meaning it could still function.

Trevor Hay, inspector for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), said: "Effective guarding should prevent access to dangerous machinery by workers, or an automatic system should cut off the power supply if someone is working inside."

While he was inside the plastic moulding machine went into operation and he was crushed between the two plates.

Had there been no exposed gap and had proper training and safety procedures been put in place this situation would not have been able to occur.

The company pleaded guilty to breaching of Regulation 11 (1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations under Section 33(1) (c) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was given a fine of £160,000 and costs of £32,000.

Mr Hay said: "Users of such machinery should ensure effective safeguards are in place to avoid further deaths or injuries to their workers."

The HSE suggests that checks to ensure the safety devices which should be fitted to machines are present should be carried out on a daily basis and extra maintenance inspections undertaken every month.