An Essex scrap metal recycling company has been fined £200,000 after an employee’s arm was severed when it became entangled in a catalytic converter sampling machine. She passed her hand through an unguarded rotary valve to remove a blockage.  HSE guidance states that employers must take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery. This will normally be by fixed guarding but where routine access is needed interlocked guards may be installed to stop the movement of dangerous parts before a person can reach the danger zone.

A Herefordshire steel manufacturing company has been fined £120,000 after a worker was killed after becoming trapped between two heavy steel beams. An investigation by the HSE found that the risk assessment for the task in question had been not been carried out by competent person. Employees had not been provided with sufficient information and training about carrying out lifting operations at the site.  In addition, the company had not properly planned the lifts and did not have a system for ensuring that there were adequately qualified supervisors present during lifting operations.

A recycling company in Wales has been fined £300,000 after an employee was killed by a shovel loader whilst carrying out routine maintenance tasks in a wood yard. The HSE investigation also found that although a risk assessment had been produced prior to the work commencing, it was not suitable nor sufficient and did not include work taking place in the wood yard. Additionally, the risk assessment should have identified there was a risk to pedestrians where there were moving vehicles.