Compensation has been secured for a man who lost part of three fingers in an accident at work.
The man worked as a welder and fabricator at a shipyard. He was cutting through an aluminium sheet using a pillar drill when the accident happened. The shape of the sheet meant that it could not be secured to the drill. The sheet caught on his glove and dragged his hand into the drill, leading to partial amputations of three fingers. His injuries affected his ability to work, carry out household tasks and care for his disabled wife.
After he sought legal advice, a claim was brought against his employer on the grounds that it had endorsed an unsafe working practice by allowing the use of a drill without a safety guard or an emergency stop button, and that the gloves the man was provided with were not suitable for the task.
Evidence was obtained from a plastic surgeon and a prosthetics expert to establish the support that would benefit the man, and the employer’s insurer was asked to provide the recommended therapy and prosthetics.
The employer admitted liability and a settlement of the man’s claim was reached.