Birmingham metal recycler fined £50,000 following worker injury

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Hawkeswood Metal Recycling has been fined £50,000 and ordered to pay £10,056 in costs after a worker broke his arm after getting it trapped in a conveyor.

A 28-year old man was attempting to retrieve a piece of scrap metal that had got stuck in a conveyor at the company based in Nechells, Bimringham, on 20 April 2010.

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Birmingham Crown Court heard that the man initially used a mop and then his right hand to free the metal. However, his glove got caught between the conveyor belt and a rotating roller, dragging his arm into the machinery.

As well as breaking his right arm, he also suffered soft tissue damage to his write. The worker was only able to return to work nine months after the incident due to his injuries.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found there was no guard in place to protect employees from dangerous moving parts of the conveyor belt.

Hawkeswood Metal Recycling Limited of Trevor Street, Birmingham pleaded guilty to the charge.

HSE inspector Ed Fryer said: “There is no excuse for companies to operate without protecting employees from dangerous parts of machinery, The requirement for guarding is common knowledge and the risks are obvious.

“The failure to protect workers has serious consequences, and in this particular incident caused painful injuries that could have been avoided by putting a simple guard in place.”