Firm fined £6,922 over drill mishap
30/03/2010
An engineering company has been fined £6,922 after an employee got his arm trapped in a drilling machine.
The man was using a pillar drill at Briggs of Burton, in Burton-on-Trent, when his overalls became entangled around a rotating drill, trapping him. He suffered a broken finger and cuts and bruises after he was unable to reach the power switch.
He was only freed after a colleague heard his cries for help.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the machine lacked a guard and an emergency stop button.
HSE officer Gail Pannell said: "The employee was very fortunate the drill wasn't operating at a higher speed or his injuries could have been much worse. But they could have been prevented altogether had the company complied with its legal obligation by having the necessary equipment installed."
Briggs pleaded guilty to breaches of the Health and Safety at work act. The company was fined £5,000 by Burton-on-Trent Magistrates' Court and ordered to pay £1,922 in costs.
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