A Greater Manchester-based engineering company, Proline Engineering Limited, has been fined £500,000 after an 18-year-old apprentice suffered severe injuries while operating a horizontal band saw. The accident occurred in November 2022, just one month after the apprentice began his training at the company.
The UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reported that the apprentice lost one finger entirely, while another was severely damaged. Although the injured finger was reattached, it has limited movement and permanent nerve damage.
Investigation Highlights Lack of Supervision
The HSE investigation revealed that the apprentice had been given “brief verbal instructions” before being left unsupervised to cut steel pieces. The band saw, located away from the main workshop in a shipping container, lacked proper oversight. The accident happened while the apprentice attempted to clear debris from under the moving blade.
Legal Proceedings and Fine
Proline Engineering Limited admitted to violating sections 3 and 33(1)(a) of the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act. Earlier this month, Manchester Magistrates’ Court ordered the company to pay the £500,000 fine plus £5,317 in legal costs.
HSE Inspector Tracy Fox commented: “This young man’s career has been permanently altered by preventable injuries. Basic safety measures could have averted this tragedy.”
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