Will Newcastle incident inspire firms to adopt facilities management health and safety processes?
July 16th 15:18 Health and Safety
A recent incident in Newcastle-under-Lyme could inspire a number of British businesses to adopt facilities management health and safety processes.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has revealed that Building Adhesives, a firm based in the area, has been fined after a worker lost part of their finger amputated by a rubber conveying machine.
An investigation by the HSE found that the company had incorrectly fitted a protection guard to the modified machine.
HSE inspector Mhairi Duffy said: "This incident would have been prevented had the guarding on the machine been fitted properly, or if there had been adequate systems in place to detect the failed guard before the accident.
"The fixed guard had been replaced with an incorrectly fitted interlocked guard meaning this was an incident waiting to happen."
Newcastle-under-Lyme Magistrates Court fined the company £10,000 and ordered it to pay costs of £4,000 after it pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
