Saint Gobain fined £16,000 after worker loses fingers

Saint-Gobain has been fined £16,000 after a worker had his finger and thumb sliced cut off by a rotary valve.

The manufacturing company admitting breaching health and safety regulations over the accident, which severed the hand of production supervisor Simon Partridge in November 2007.

Partridge, 37, of Clapham, tried to clear a blocked waste extractor with his left hand but became entangled in the machine.

HSE investigators found that the machine’s safety guards could be removed by workers using tools the company had provided, and that the system for switching the machine off was below expected standards.

HSE inspector Graham Tompkins said: “Unfortunately this kind of horrific injury is all too common. This case would not have happened if a suitable system of work had been used, including power isolation arrangements and safety guards that were not so easily bypassed.”

“Employers have a legal obligation to protect the safety of their workers and help prevent serious injuries like this occurring. HSE will not hesitate to prosecute when companies fail in this basic duty.”

In a statement Saint-Gobain said: “Saint-Gobain Weber very much regrets the injuries sustained by our employee, Mr Simon Partridge, in November 2007 when he sustained very serious injuries to his hand when attempting to clear a blockage in a machine at our plant in Flitwick.

Following the accident, immediate action was taken to prevent a recurrence of any incident of this type. This was done in full consultation with the Health and Safety Executive, which accepted from its investigation that Weber is committed to a wider responsible attitude towards ensuring the safety of its employees.”