A CONSTRUCTION company has been fined £6,000 after an employee lost his forearm in an accident at work.

The employee, a mechanical and electrical engineer, needed to have his right forearm amputated after it was crushed in a giant screw at Neiley Waste Water Treatment Works, New Mill Road, Honley, on March 12, 2008.

Yesterday Huddersfield Magistrates fined Morgan Est, who had been contracted to refurbish the plant by Yorkshire Water, £6,000 plus £2,163 costs and £15 victim surcharge.

The employee – who does not want to be identified – had worked on a screw conveyor belt, known as a centrifuge, which removes water from sewage.

The centrifuge had become blocked several times since the refurbished plant went into commission in early 2008, magistrates were told.

Employers would stop the machinery using the emergency stop button and remove the conveyor belt cover, exposing the working parts beneath, before clearing the blockage.

The court heard Morgan Est had failed to carry out an adequate risk assessment and had no written guidelines for unblocking the centrifuge.

As a result of this the Coventry-based company had failed to implement a system and measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of the equipment.

Prosecuting for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) David Stewart said the engineer, who was 48 at the time, was in the centrifuge room.

Mr Stewart said: “It is unclear what happened but (his) arm was drawn into the screw conveyor causing severe crush injuries and lacerations.

“Due to the severity of his injuries his right arm had to be amputated above the elbow.”

Mr Stewart told the court the cover was missing from the conveyor belt but it was unclear who had removed it.

He said: “There was a lack of consideration by the company given to the commission of this plant. Blockages had occurred in this plant on several occasions.

“A risk assessment should have been taken to identify hazards present and this should have been in place after the first incident of a blockage.”

Mitigating Matthew Peacock said Morgan Est had a ‘good safety record and a responsible attitude towards health and safety’.

Mr Peacock said the accident had not occurred because of cost cutting and safety precautions had since been put in place.

He added the company had continued to employ the engineer and had paid him a full salary while he attended hospital appointments.

Morgan Est admitted breaching one regulation of the Work Equipment Regulations (1998) and one regulation of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999),

The company, which has 4,000 employees, was fined £3,000 for each offence.

A spokesman for Morgan Est said: “We deeply regret that on March 12, 2008, an employee and experienced mechanical and electrical engineer with more than 20 years experience in the industry sustained an injury resulting in the loss of his right arm whilst working at Neiley Waste Water Treatment Works.

“Morgan Est accepts responsibility for this accident and took immediate action to strengthen its management systems with regard to moving plant and equipment.

“Safety is paramount at Morgan Est, with specifically designed courses relating to technical and behavioural aspects of safety undertaken.

“The employee, who remains employed with us in his role as a mechanical and electrical project engineer, had previously attended these courses.”