Injection moulding company fined after worker injured

An injection moulding company has been fined after a worker suffered serious injuries whilst trying to free a blockage.

Wrexham Magistrates’ Court heard how a Brother Industries (UK) Limited employee was injured whilst trying to clear a blockage on a plastics injection moulding machine, resulting in serious burns and multiple fractures to his heel and causing him to miss three months of work.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident, which occurred on the 20 December 2016, found that there was no safe system of work for clearing blockages on plastic injection moulding machines.

Brother Industries (UK) Limited of Vauxhall Industrial Estate, Ruabon, Wrexham pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and have been fined £150,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,659.98.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Christina Roberts said: “Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of work and to provide the necessary information, instruction and training to their workers in the safe system of work.

“If a suitable safe system of work had been in place prior to the incident, the life changing injuries sustained by the employee could have been prevented.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. www.hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk