A RUNCORN cardboard tube manufacturer has been fined after an employee’s finger was amputated while operating a core cutting machine.

JFB Cores Ltd on Whitehouse Industrial Estate was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the incident on November 3, 2015.

A female employee suffered severe damage to her left hand which required surgery resulting in the loss of a finger and nerve damage, Manchester Magistrates Court heard on Thursday.

The woman is still undergoing treatment and, two years on, she been unable to return to work.

At the time of the incident the female employee was operating a core cutting machine, feeding cardboard tubes onto the machine which had cutting discs which rose to cut shorter lengths.

As she removed newly cut tubes from the machine the glove she was wearing on her left hand became entangled on the rotating mandrel and pulled her hand into the machine.

The HSE investigation found that the operation of this machine carried unacceptable risk.

Employees were required to make contact with a rotating cylinder whilst removing finished work.

This meant there was a risk that their hands would be drawn into the cutting discs which were positioned below.

This unsafe way of working had continued for a number of years and wearing of fabric gloves significantly increased the risk of this accident happening.

JFB Cores Ltd, of Aston Fields Road, Runcorn pleaded guilty to breaching of Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £18,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,216.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Lianne Farrington said: “This injury could easily have been prevented and the risk should have been identified.

“Employers should make sure they properly assess and apply effective control measures to minimise the risk from dangerous parts of machinery.”