A butchers has been fined after a worker suffered deep lacerations to one of his hands when working.
The worker was cutting beef bones on a band saw at the time of the accident when he suffered deep lacerations to his left hand.
The supplied safety devices on the band saw were not in use at the time of the accident as the worker had not been adequately trained to use them.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that the butchers had not provided the right training to the worker in order to complete the task safely; the company also failed to appropriately assess the risks posed by the task or have the appropriate level of supervision in place when this task was being carried out.
The Butchers at Clifton Limited of Bristol pleaded guilty and was fined £18,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,343.
Basic training and using the safety devices fitted to the machine would have avoided this accident.
You must ensure that no-one uses potentially dangerous equipment without training. Training could be a formal course or simply being shown how to use the equipment – it all depends on the degree of risk.
You must never allow machinery to be used if guards and other safety features are not in place. If you are unsure, get advice and take the equipment out of operation until it is safe to use.