MJ Church fined £20,000 after worker injured

Company prosecuted following injuries to young worker while clearing blocked picking line

A WASTE-management company has been prosecuted after a worker was left with life-changing injuries.

Chippenham Magistrates Court heard how the 19-year-old worker and his colleagues had cleared a blockage from a waste picking line, when his gloved hand got caught in the conveyor belt.

The roller fractured his right hand, dislocated his wrist and radius and he had to spend two weeks in hospital following the incident.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that there was no effective guarding around the conveyor belt to prevent workers hands being caught up in the mechanism.

MJ Church (Plant) Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and were fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,549.53 and a victim surcharge of £170.

HSE Inspector Tania Nickson said: ‘A young worker’s life was changed forever because a company failed to ensure there was the correct guarding in place on a conveyor belt.

‘A year after the incident he still requires medical treatment and is unlikely to gain full use of his right hand.

‘All companies that work with dangerous machinery can learn from this case – straightforward precautions protect workers safety.’