A clinical waste disposal firm has been fined £300,000 after a worker severed his arm from the elbow down while unblocking machinery, the UK's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has said.
The man, who was 42 at the time, was working his usual night shift at Tradebe Healthcare National Limited's site on Elgin Industrial Estate in Swindon on February 4, 2022. He had been working alongside a colleague when he attempted to clear an obstruction on an autoclave machine.
Incident details
Autoclave machines are pressure vessels with lids or doors used in processes where products are subjected to greater than atmospheric pressure and elevated temperatures. A rotoclave, a type of autoclave that rotates during operation, was used at the site for high temperature sterilisation of waste.
The HSE said the man's left arm was trapped and crushed by the door, severing it from the elbow down. He was rushed to hospital, where doctors spent six hours saving his arm.
Aftermath and surgeries
He has since had three major surgeries to restore the use of his hand, though he now suffers from very limited movement. Part of his treatment involved skin grafts taken from the thigh of his left leg and veins from his left and right legs transplanted into the arm. He still suffers from constant pain and struggles to complete many everyday tasks independently.
Investigation findings
The HSE investigation revealed that the machine was surrounded by an enclosure with an access gate at its rear. The man used this unsecured rear gate to walk into the enclosure to reach in and remove debris. His colleague was unable to see him, and due to miscommunication, mistakenly resumed operation of the machine.
The investigation found multiple failings by the firm, including not having sufficient measures to prevent employees from being at risk when clearing blockages, employees being exposed to risk due to failure to properly isolate the machine before cleaning, and employees not being provided with sufficient information and instruction about safe use and cleaning of the machine. Training provided to employees was inadequate, and employees were not suitably supervised.
Legal outcome
Tradebe Healthcare National Limited, of Atlas House Third Avenue, Globe Park, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay £18,710 in costs.
HSE inspector Emma Preston said: “This was a harrowing incident made more tragic by the fact that events of this kind are all-too foreseeable. Accidents which happen when cleaning and maintaining machinery often result in life-changing injuries, which is why companies need to make sure they have robust lock-off procedures, effective guarding, and that all sources of power are fully isolated before work begins. The man affected by this incident faces a long road to recovery and we hope today’s outcome provides him a measure of justice.”
