University given £3,000 fine over health and safety breach

Warwick University has been fined £3,000 for breaching machinery regulations at its agriculture research site.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the organisation failed to prevent access to dangerous parts of harvesting equipment, leading one worker to seriously damage his right arm.

Gareth Keal from Boston trapped the appendage when he was trying to sort bulbs on the modified machine and was dragged into rollers up to the shoulder.

The 28-year-old suffered serious damage to the limb’s soft tissue, requiring him to undergo physiotherapy for 18 months.

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"Both suppliers and users must ensure that dangerous parts are adequately guarded to prevent access and to ensure that workers … are not put at risk," the HSE went on to state.

However, recent figures from the institution suggested that incidents of this nature could be on the decline, with last year showing the lowest number of workplace fatalities on record.

Posted by Ross George