AN engineering firm in Co Tyrone has been charged £25,000 after an employee suffered serious hand injuries while using a cutting machine.
Caledon Precision Engineering Limited, situated near the Monaghan border on the Derrycourtney Road, received the fine at Craigavon Crown Court on Monday.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) found the company failed to ensure the safety of employees while working at an automatic lathe.
The company had pleaded guilty over an incident on October 10, 2022, where an employee sustained serious hand injuries while using emery cloth at an automatic lathe.
- Workplace deaths almost halve in a year, say Health and Safety ExecutiveOpens in new window
- Co Derry woman tells of terrifying ordeal as she tried to save dog from cattle attackOpens in new window
- Trust expresses 'genuine remorse' following fine over Christmas Day choking death of patientOpens in new window
A type of abrasive sandpaper, emery cloth should never be applied directly by hand to manual or automatic lathes.
A metal component had been placed into the automatic lathe and the emery cloth was applied by hand in order to remove rust.
Another factor was that the machine’s interlocking doors had been bypassed, meaning the machine could be operated with the doors open.
HSENI Inspector, Gavin Rowan said: “Employers have a legal duty to ensure employees and others are not put at risk from unguarded machinery.
“Serious incidents involving the use of emery cloth at metalworking lathes are common and result in injuries such as broken bones, dislocations, and amputations.
“It is never acceptable to apply emery cloth directly by hand on a rotating automatic or manual metal working machine.”
Further information on the safe use of emery cloth on metalworking machines is available online at: www.hseni.gov.uk/news/safe-use-emery-cloth
