A Dunfermline haulage operator has been fined £24,000 after one of its employees suffered serious injuries to his hand and forearm in a work-based accident.
Skip hire, waste and recycling business W M Russell & Sons pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act when it appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court last month following the incident in April 2021.
The court heard how worker Barry Pae, formerly known as Barry Vaughan, had attempted to change the blades of a rapid granulator machine, used in plastic recycling, at the company’s Lilliehall operating centre.
He sustained serious and irreversible injuries, which included complete amputation of his left index, middle and ring fingers and an open fracture to his left wrist.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company, which holds a licence authorising 22 HGVs and six trailers, failed to provide a safe system of work for changing the cutter blades. This included a failure to provide sufficient information, instruction, and training on how to isolate the granulator when changing the blades or carrying out other maintenance.
HSE inspector Laura Dempster said: “Those in control of work have a responsibility to provide a safe system of work for their employees and to provide the necessary information, instruction and training on that system.”
