A COMPANY has been fined £4,600 after an employee's hand was crushed in an industrial mangle.

Steven Lord was left with long- term injuries after his right hand was drawn in between two rollers of a rinse mangle while he was working at Bowling Finishing Services Ltd, in Lonsdale Street, Nelson.

Following the accident, in August last year, Mr Lord is now classed as 40per cent disabled, but is hoping to return to work later this year at the company.

The company, which finishes textiles through various processes including washing, dyeing, cutting and rolling, was fined a total of £4,600, and ordered to pay £2,381 costs, at Reedley Magistrates' Court.

It pleaded guilty to two charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

It was fined £2,000 for failing to prevent access to the dangerous parts of a machine, and £2,600 for failing to make an assessment of the risks.

Businesses are being warned by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to ensure that moving machinery is properly guarded.

HSE Inspector Philip Strickland said: "Mr Lord's injuries were serious, but the consequences of this incident could have been far worse.

"The machinery that this accident occurred on had no safeguards to prevent access to these dangerous parts.

"From the investigation carried out it was also found that there was a lack of suitable and sufficient risk assessment."

He added: "This case graphically illustrates that companies should ensure that all their machinery is adequately guarded for the safety of all employees, and suitable risk assessments are carried out."

The company said it had learnt lessons from the accident and had carried out new risk assessments, and made sure all necessary machinery was guarded.