A teenage apprentice joiner had his thumb surgically reattached after it was severed by a rotating blade while working on a construction project in the Scottish Highlands.
The then 18-year-old had been working on the conversion of a 19th-century hunting lodge into a luxury hotel at Hope Lodge, Tongue, when the incident occurred in June 2021.
Tain Sheriff Court has fined the company £40,000 after a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation identified multiple failings in its management of work equipment and apprentice training.
The apprentice had been with the company for six months when he was instructed to cut plasterboard using a portable table saw. During the task, he attempted to flick away material near the blade using his left hand, inadvertently making contact with the rotating saw and severing his thumb. Colleagues transported him to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, and the severed digit was later recovered and brought to the hospital. He was subsequently transferred to St John’s Hospital in Livingston, where surgeons successfully reattached the thumb.
Now in his early twenties, the apprentice has resumed his career with a different employer. Although he retains some function, he reports that his thumb remains permanently swollen, lacks full mobility, and becomes painful in cold weather.
An HSE investigation found that 3B Construction failed to:
– Conduct a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for use of the table saw;
– Ensure the work system in place for operating the saw was safe and properly supervised;
– Provide adequate information, instruction, and training for apprentice joiners using the equipment.
The firm, based in Ayr, pleaded guilty to breaching sections 2(1) and 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work Act.
What can be learned from this case?
‘While this young man continues to live with the trauma and impact of this incident, it’s greatly encouraging to see him continuing to work as a joiner,’ commented HSE inspector Norman Schouten. ‘However, it is only the efforts of medical professionals that prevented this from becoming a permanent amputation following the failures of the company. ‘Companies and individuals should be aware that the HSE and Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.’
Under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, employers are required to take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery, or to stop the movement of such parts before any person enters the danger zone.
Source – IOSH
