Worker's fingers severed by bandsaw
10/08/2011
A worker had three fingers severed while using a bandsaw due to the absence of a safety guard while working at a waste separation firm's County Durham HQ, a court has been told.
John Houston, 39, was rushed to hospital and underwent 10 hours of surgery as doctors tried unsuccessfully to re-attach one of his fingers.
Derek Parnaby Cyclones International Ltd was fined £10,500 plus costs following a prosecution sparked by the Health and Safety Executive.
Darlington Magistrates' Court heard that Mr Houston, from Ferryhill, was working as a contractor at the company's head office in Chilton on April 22, 2010.
Mr Houston was using a horizontal metal cutting bandsaw to cut down pieces of steel to make a frame, but there was no safety guard in place and his left hand came into contact with the moving blade, severing three fingers.
Derek Parnaby Cyclones International Ltd, of Avenue 1, Chilton Industrial Estate, Chilton, admitted one breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and one breach of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The firm was fined a total of £10,500 and ordered to pay £3,266.60 in costs.
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