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Wood Panel Manufacturer Fined After Worker Loses Leg

An accident that caused a worker to lose his leg has resulted in a £400,000 fine for a manufacturer of wood panels, following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

A pack of waste medium-density fibreboard (MDF) sheets, weighing 350 kg, fell from a trailer and landed on the worker's left leg. His injuries were so severe that his leg had to be amputated below the knee. He has had to move to an accessible house and can no longer carry on with the hobbies he enjoyed before the accident. He was off work for more than two years before returning to the manufacturer part time.

The HSE investigation found that there had been no suitable risk assessment or system of work in place relating to the risks associated with stacking, loading and moving waste MDF sheets.

After pleading guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the manufacturer was fined £400,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,701.