HSE fines Bristol lighting company £20K over employee injury at work

A lighting company in Bristol has been order to pay a fine of £20,000 by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after one of its workers suffered an injury in the workplace.

The incident occurred back in February of this year, when employee Rolf Weber sustained a head injury whilst carrying out his usual duties. Entering the working area of a machine in the Fineline lighting factory, Mr Weber received a minor wound to the head after a cutter continued to rotate at standard speed.

At Weston-super-Mare Magistrates Court yesterday (11th October), the owner of the factory, Darren Wring, was found to have breached a Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulation. He was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay court costs of £1,800 for not ensuring that the machinery in question was not properly guarded.

A HSE inspector, Christine Haberfield, commented on the case, saying:

“Fortunately, Mr Weber’s injuries were fairly minor, but the cutter on which he hit his head was rotating at 18,000rpm and he could have been very seriously injured or even killed.”

This kind of incident is why businesses are legally required to take out employers’ liability cover, although this should not be seen as a substitute for precautionary safety measures.

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