A COMPANY fined for flouting health and safety law after a worker suffered life-changing injuries in an horrific north Cumbria industrial accident has carried out a “complete review” to prevent a repeat.
On Friday, SIG Trading Ltd was ordered by a judge to pay £600,000 after an incident at its manufacturing site at Warnell, close to Walton, near Carlisle, in October, 2015.
Operative Matthew Hook’s dominant left hand became trapped in a metal-folding machine. This led to the partial surgical amputation of four fingers.
SIG Trading admitted one health and safety breach, having failed to ensure the safety of employees during a period of almost three years.
It was fined at Carlisle Crown Court where Judge Peter Davies concluded: “This accident, regrettably, could have been avoided.”
Following Friday’s hearing, SIG Trading has issued a statement.
“SIG plc takes health and safety extremely seriously and we were very disappointed that the accident occurred,” said a spokesman. “We accept responsibility for the accident and this was reflected in our guilty plea, which we made at the earliest opportunity.
“A complete review of the operations of this piece of machinery and other similar operations has been undertaken to make sure that an accident of this nature could not happen again. We also worked with Mr Hook to seek to enable him to return to work.”
