Worker sues after losing limbs at recycling plant

A fine has been slapped on two firms after a member of staff lost the tips of two fingers at a paper recycling plant located in Greenwich. This was at the City of London Magistrates’ court.

The incident occurred on the twenty third of July in 2004 at SCA Recycling UK Ltd’s site in Herringham Road, Greenwich, where James Adams had gone to repair a waste-paper recycling machine.

Although the technicians were able to fill their company’s risk assessment form prior to starting the repair work, they only knew how to fill the form but not how to assess the risks.

When the shredder’s panel did not open as easily as the technicians had envisaged, they decided to push it open using a hydraulic jack. The panel jerked open all of a sudden and then closed just as fast. In the process Mr Adams’ right ring finger and little finger were trapped and consequently he lost the two fingertips.

RCP Macpress Ltd of Telford, was fined fifteen thousand pounds with costs of two thousand four hundred and ninety six pounds. SCA Recycling Ltd of Kent on the other hand was also fined fifteen thousand pounds with costs of three thousand and forty two pounds.

Loraine Charles, the inspector investigating the case observed that the incident demonstrated the importance of ensuring that members of staff were properly trained on how assess risks. She also added that risk assessments and permit-to-work systems were useless unless firms made sure that members of staff were aware of what dangers they were putting themselves in.