A company based in Aberdeen, Harper UK (Aberdeen) Ltd, has been sentenced after a serious workplace incident left an employee severely injured.
On 4 April 2022, Miroslaw Pancyzk, an employee of Harper UK (Aberdeen) Ltd, suffered multiple injuries while working with a lathe. He fractured both wrists and sustained a fracture to the middle finger on his right hand. The injuries occurred when Mr Pancyzk was polishing a metal bar using a piece of emery paper, which snagged on the rotating workpiece. This caused his gloved hands to be pulled into the machine.
The incident left Mr Pancyzk with significant injuries. His wrists were both broken, and he required casts for six weeks. In addition, the palm of his right hand needed plastic surgery due to the severity of the damage. Tragically, he also lost part of his right-hand ring finger and sustained a fracture to his middle finger.
The lathe Mr Pancyzk was using did not have adequate safety measures in place at the time of the incident. According to an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the machine was not equipped with a chuck guard, and there were no appropriate tools provided to carry out the task safely. Furthermore, the company had not conducted a risk assessment specific to the use of the lathe.
The findings of the investigation pointed to a clear lack of protection for workers. The company, a supplier of equipment to several industries, including the oil and gas sector, was found to have failed in its duty to ensure the safety of its employees. Harper UK (Aberdeen) Ltd admitted to breaching Section 2(1) and Section 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
On 18 June 2024, the company was fined £10,000 at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
Commenting on the case, HSE Inspector Graham McEvoy stressed that the incident was entirely preventable. “This incident was easily avoidable,” he said. “The risks should have been identified, and employers must ensure they properly assess the dangers posed by machinery. Effective control measures must be applied to reduce the risk of injury from hazardous parts.”
