Firm fined for moulder accident

A construction firm has been fined £10,000 after a bench joiner lost a finger and thumb in a moulding machine.

David Head, 24, of Sudbury was shaping a piece of timber at the G J Bream & Son joinery workshop in Chevington, Suffolk, in June 2010, when it caught and dragged his left hand into the cutters, a Health and Safety Executive investigation found.

Reconstructive plastic surgeons at Addenbrooke's Hospital were able to reattach the thumb and finger, but Mr Head will only be able to regain half their use.

The HSE said the company was not using the correct jigs to keep hands clear of the cutting machinery, and had failed to assess risk and supervise or train staff properly.

Magistrates at Bury St Edmunds fined the company £10,000 with £4,026 costs.