Worker wins accident claim over hand injury

An employee has won legal action after a work accident in which he lost a finger.

The incident happened at B&B Group Ltd's factory in Ince on September 24th 2009.

The company, of West Bridgewater Street in Leigh, was instructed to pay £1,703 in costs and fined £12,500. The firm admitted at Trafford Magistrates Court that it had breached Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

At the time of the work accident the firm had failed to place a guard around the drill bit of a machine to ensure that workers using it were safe. This led to the 46-year-old employee, who has not been named, injuring his right hand.

"A worker has suffered a life-long injury to his right hand because B&B Group did not make sure basic health and safety measures were in place at its Wigan factory," Adam McMahon, the investigating inspector at HSE, said.

In addition, the Daily Express said that personal injury compensation to the value of £27 million was granted to workers in the public sector last year.