Derry Crown Court, which issued the sentence on June 3, also ordered Eglinton to pay £1,500 costs in the health and safety case.
The court heard that the employee’s hand became trapped after coming into contact with a rotating cog mechanism of a multi-layered sawing machine as he was attempting to adjust the position of the cog. His hand was instantly severed by the machine parts.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland found the worker has started at Eglinton seven weeks before the incident and had not received sufficient instruction and training in the maintenance and the machine.
It also identified that the company did not always follow systems of work to ensure the safe maintenance of machines.
At an earlier hearing, the court heard that Eglinton had since replaced the machine and another like it in a £60,000 investment, while a further £122,000 had been invested in health and safety updates.
The company’s insurance premium had also increased by £60,000 since the accident.
