HSE's targeted campaign

BACK 26-01-2016

HSE's targeted campaign on wood dust

HSE's targeted campaign on wood dust
This work year HSE is targeting the woodworking industry because of the significant health and safety risks associated with wood dust. Visit HSE's Woodworking Website for more information on wood dust and what you need to do, to comply with the law.

Fines & Prosecutions
The woodworking industry has one of the highest accident rates in manufacturing, most of which are caused by contact with moving machinery. Below are some recent prosecutions for accidents where operatives have sustained life changing injuries.


Essex joinery firm fined for inadequate LEV

An Essex firm has been fined a total of £15,000 for repeatedly failing to have its LEV system for extracting wood dust thoroughly examined.

Kettering sawmill fined

A Kettering saw mill was fined after an employee suffered a serious injury to his hand when it was drawn into the rotating blade of an inadequately guarded large band saw.

Company fined after sawmill accident

A company that manufactures garden timber products has been fined for safety failings that led to a worker sustaining a serious hand injury whilst using a twin band re-saw machine.

Daventry timber manufacturer fined

A timber gate manufacturer in Daventry has been fined after an employee lost two fingers on his left hand while working on machinery. His hand was pulled into the rotating blade of an inadequately guarded circular saw which was not fitted with a riving knife or ‘take off’ table when the incident happened. HSE's Press Release has more information on the accident and fine.

Furniture manufacturer fined

A furniture manufacturer was fined after an agency worker suffered injuries to his hand whilst cleaning away wood dust inside a board-edge processing machine. Contact with an unguarded saw blade resulted in him losing fingers.

Trainee has fingers severed

The owner of a Bedfordshire joinery and carpentry business pleaded guilty to failing to report an accident, where a person had two fingers amputated, which had occurred at his workshop.
 
Agency worker suffers injuries from unguarded machinery

A furniture manufacturer was fined after a worker suffered injuries to his hand while cleaning an unguarded machine. The worker on only his fourth day at work for the company, was cleaning wood dust inside a board-edge processing machine when his right hand came into contact with an unguarded saw blade and severed four of his fingers.

Worker loses finger whilst using wood planer

A Cheshire coachbuilding firm has been fined after a worker sustained injuries to his hand when using an unguarded planer.  The employee was feeding wood over the planer when his fingers touched the blades, resulting in the amputation of his little finger.

Luxury kitchen manufacturer fined

A Northampton luxury kitchen manufacturer has been fined after a worker lost two fingers whilst using a revolving cutting block.

Woodworking firm fined over safety breach

A woodworking firm was fined for safety breaches after stacks of boards fell onto two employees and injured both of them. A fork-lift truck was working closely with two pedestrians during a lifting operation when it hit a stack of boards which knocked into one worker, who then fell onto a second stack, which fell on a second worker.

More information on any of the above accident and fine can be found on HSE's Press Release.

For more information on your responsibilities when hiring agency personnel, visit HSE's Workers Website.
 

 

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