Commercial Lines Limited (T/A HLN Supplies), a Leeds-based plastics firm, has been fined £16,000 plus £6,534 in costs after two workers lost fingers in separate incidents within a ten-day period in August 2024.
Summary:
On August 12, 2024, Angela Morrison, a 61-year-old grandmother and 28-year employee, lost part of her middle finger and sustained serious damage to another finger while clearing a blockage on a sanding machine. Ten days later, on August 22, another 57-year-old worker lost part of his index and middle fingers using a table saw. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the company failed to provide adequate guarding on machinery, insufficient training for the table saw, no safe work systems for cutting small materials, and lacked a suitable risk assessment. The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and section 3(1) of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
Analysis:
This case highlights severe and systemic health and safety failings within Commercial Lines Limited. The occurrence of two serious, yet “wholly avoidable” incidents within such a short timeframe underscores a profound lack of adherence to basic safety protocols, specifically regarding machine guarding, training, and risk assessment. The long-term impact on the workers, particularly Mrs. Morrison’s struggle with everyday tasks and emotional distress, emphasizes the devastating human cost of neglecting workplace safety. The HSE inspector’s statement confirms that simple measures like proper guarding and training could have prevented these life-changing injuries, demonstrating the company’s negligence in fulfilling its duty to protect its employees. The fine, while significant, pales in comparison to the permanent physical and emotional damage suffered by the workers.
Article link: Plastics firm fined after two workers lose fingers in just ten days – HSE Media Centre