A linen services company receives a £100,000 after an employee needed to have a hand amputated due to a workplace accident.
Scott Drummond of North Wales, suffered serious hand injuries after trapping it in machinery at Johnsons Textile Services Limited, Chester, in June 2021.
The injury was of such severity that the hand needed to be amputated above the wrist. Scott had been working on fixing a fault on a commercial dryer when his hand got snagged in the machine.
The accident occurred after he lost his balance on a step ladder, reached out to steady himself, and trapped his hand in the machine, which crushed it in the process. As he became trapped, he was forced to call out for help.
There was no guarding on the dryer’s moving parts, and despite having a one metre exclusion rule within the vicinity of the machine’s moving parts, the restrictions were vague and didn’t account for involuntary movement around the machinery.
A court statement by Mr. Drummond read:
“Health and safety shouldn’t be about cost, it should be about keeping everyone safe.
“I should have been able to come home from work safely, but I was left with an injury that I’ll have to manage for the rest of my life.
“I am making this statement in the hope that what has happened to me doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that Johnsons Textile Services had failed to properly assess the risks of working around the machinery and had not installed suitable guarding, and established proper safety procedures.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The company was fined £100,000 and was ordered to pay £10,741.69 costs at a hearing at Chester Magistrates on 11 December 2023.
HSE inspector Thomas Delroy said:
“Scott’s injuries are truly life changing. This serious incident and its devastating consequences could have been avoided if basic safeguards had been put in place.
“Here at HSE we would like to highlight that all employers should make sure they properly assess and apply effective control measures to minimise the risk from dangerous parts of machinery.”
HSE enforcement lawyer Kate Harney led the prosecution.
Further reading
For some further information about Accidents at Work, check out this page.
How do I get in touch?
Contact our team today on 0113 306 9039, and we will advise you on whether or not your case is likely to succeed.
