Manufacturer Fined After Employee Fingers Severed in Printing Machine

Brief Summary

A manufacturer has been fined after an employee suffered partial severing of two fingers while cleaning a printing machine. The case highlights failures in safeguarding, particularly around an interlock that could be easily overridden, and gaps in machine maintenance and employee training.

What Was The Incident?

On 8 March 2024, a 57 year old employee at Askern UK Limited was cleaning the rollers of a machine used to print logos. While carrying out cleaning, she was able to raise a guard and override an interlock to run the rollers. Her fingers were drawn into the nip point, resulting in two fingers being partially severed.

What Was The Outcome?

Askern UK Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £24,395, ordered to pay £5,000 in costs and a victim surcharge of £2,000 at Leeds Magistrates' Court on 4 February 2026.

What Lessons Can Be Learnt?

Prevent access to dangerous machinery parts. Ensure effective measures stop people reaching moving parts such as rollers, especially during cleaning and normal operation.

Make interlocks and guards hard to bypass. Review safeguarding so that protection devices are not easily raised, overridden, disabled, or otherwise bypassed.

Maintain machinery so safety features remain effective. Carry out adequate maintenance to ensure guarding and other safety measures continue to function as intended.

Provide suitable information, instruction and training. Train employees for the specific machine and tasks they carry out, including how safety devices work and what must never be overridden during cleaning.

Check cleaning tasks are planned for safety. When workers clean machines, ensure safe procedures are in place that remove or control the risk of access to moving parts at the nip point.

HSE Prosecution Link