A Kent-based timber manufacturer has been fined £12,000 after a worker lost three fingers in an accident involving unsafe machinery.
David Broadway, 36, was operating a panel saw at Pemberton Timber Frame Ltd’s site in Ramsgate on 4 January 2023 when his right hand came into contact with the saw blade, severing his index, middle and ring fingers and cutting his little finger.
Broadway had been asked to perform a rip cut — a process requiring multiple passes of a piece of timber through the saw as it exceeded the depth the blade could cut in one pass. CCTV footage showed him successfully completing the first cut but struggling with the second. As he attempted to feed the timber through the saw while receiving it from the cut end, his hand made contact with the moving blade.
‘Even Normal Activities Are a Challenge’
The life-changing injuries have affected Broadway’s ability to work and carry out everyday tasks.
“I used to do weight lifting, ride my bike and keep active,” he said. “I used to work a lot with my hands and I am now getting frustrated as I can’t do these things.
“Even normal activities like cooking or taking a shower are a challenge. It makes me feel stressed as I can’t do the everyday activities I used to do.”
He also struggles, he said, to care for his children, including a son born after the accident.
Company Failed to Provide Training
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that Broadway had been instructed to complete a task unsuitable for the panel saw he was using. The company had also failed to provide adequate training, it found, leaving him unaware of the saw’s limitations and safety features, such as a riving knife and push stick.
The saw’s riving knife, a key safety feature designed to prevent kickback and keep the material stable, was missing at the time of the incident. Investigators also found that Pemberton Timber Frame Ltd had other machines on-site that could have carried out the task safely, but Broadway had not been informed of their availability.
Legal Action and Fine
The company pleaded guilty at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court on 8 January 2025 to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £4,034.
The HSE said the accident could have been prevented if proper safety measures had been followed.
“Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working and to provide the necessary information, instruction and training to their workers,” said HSE principal inspector Ross Carter.
“If a suitable safe system of work had been in place prior to the incident, the life-changing injuries sustained by Mr Broadway would not have happened.”
HSE has published detailed guidance on safe woodworking practices, including restrictions on using panel saws for rip cuts. A circular blade must always project through the upper surface of the material being cut, and employers must ensure workers are properly trained in safe operating procedures.