Firm fined after Wolverhampton worker's fingers crushed
A welding machine manufacturer has been fined £53,000 after safety failings led to a worker losing two fingers in an accident.
Self-employed electrical contractor Ian Mowbray was working at MTI Welding Technologies Ltd, in Kingswinford, when his fingers were crushed.
The 49-year-old from Wolverhampton was trying to rectify a loading problem on a high-friction welding machine when the incident happened on August 23 last year.
Dudley Magistrates Court heard he pressed an incorrect button, closing the powerful hydraulic holding fixture on to his left hand.
His middle and ring fingers were so badly crushed they had to be amputated in hospital, the court was told.
Mr Mowbray was off work for three weeks but has since returned to the company, based on Pensnett Trading Estate, off Stallings Lane.
The court was told MTI Welding Technologies failed to report the incident to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
It only came to light four weeks later when HSE received an anonymous complaint which led to an unannounced inspection, the court heard.
The investigation found the company had acquired the machine from another firm that had modified it from a safe, automatically-loaded one.
The modifications had defeated safety system interlocks and instead introduced manual controls.
Over-riding the interlocks meant the door to the safety enclosure could be opened without stopping the machine, giving workers access while machinery was operating.
During the HSE visit, the organisations claimed a radial arm drill was running without a suitably maintained safety switch, leaving operators inadequately protected.
A Prohibition Notice was issued banning its use with immediate effect until the fault was repaired.
MTI Welding Technologies Ltd pleading guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
It was fined £53,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,100.
After the hearing, HSE inspector John Glynn said: "The company builds and sells its welding machines to major manufacturing companies worldwide.
"As original manufacturers they are fully aware of the legal requirements to supply machines with all the required safety measures. They were therefore grossly negligent to allow the use of this machine within their own premises in its modified state.
"MTI Welding Technologies Ltd entirely failed to consider the risk to workers while engaged in manual operations. Had they done so a man would not have suffered a serious, painful injury."
