Scrap metal company fined after worker loses four fingers

A scrap metal company has been fined for safety breaches after a worker lost parts of four fingers while operating poorly maintained machinery.

On 27 March 2020, a man working for Infinity Metals Limited suffered amputations to multiple fingers while operating the machinery at Vickerdale Works, Arthur Street, Stanningley, Pudsey, Leeds.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that while the employee was operating the crocodile shear, he leant over the machine while it was in motion to clear metal and caught his right hand in the machine. This caused him to suffer an amputation to four of his fingers.

Infinity Metals Limited, of Spur Road, Quarry Lane Industrial Estate, Chichester pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £26,680 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £7,005.50 at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on 9 November 2022.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Darian Dundas said: “The lack of clear roles and responsibilities together with insufficient training and poorly maintained machinery played a significant part in this incident.

“This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply maintaining the machinery in good working order, ensuring that the correct control measures were present, and ensuring that safe working practices were adhered too.”

Notes to editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We seek to 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. hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk^]