A hardwood flooring firm with Royal Warrants has been fine £6,000 after a worker’s hand was punctured by a large piece of wood.
Lincolnshire-based Weldon Contracts Ltd, which has completed work at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Clarence House, pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations before Nottingham magistrates during a hearing on January 19.
A 40-year-old worker had been cutting walnut boards on a circular ripsaw at Weldon’s Norwell workshops when a 90cm centimetre section broke off and punctured his arm.
A Health & Safety Executive investigation found the machine had no guards at the time of the incident, nor a riving knife – the safety device which prevents kickbacks.
Magistrates were told the saw had been used the day before the incident for a process known as deep cutting, during which the guard and riving knife were removed. Neither had been replaced.
“This type of machine is wholly unsuitable for deep cutting as it cannot be carried out without first removing the guards and riving knife,” said inspector Lorna Sherlock.
She said the worker was extremely fortunate not to have been more seriously injured.
“Thanks to the actions of the site first aider who insisted on leaving the wood in place until he got to hospital, he has made a full recovery.”
