Special Metals Wiggin Hereford fined after worker crushed
A metal-making company has been fined £120,000 after a worker was crushed and burned by falling machinery.
Worcester Crown Court heard that foundry man Stephen Bond-Lewis, 37, from Hereford, ended up on a life-support machine for 18 hours with 25% burns to his body.
Part of a casting machine holding molten metal fell and trapped him.
Special Metals Wiggin admitted breaching health and safety regulations and was ordered to pay £55,000 costs.
Co-worker Craig Sheehan, also from Hereford, lost part of his ring finger when he tried to lift the machine off his colleague.
Earlier the court heard the company, based on Holmer Road in Hereford, had not completed routine safety checks for 15 years prior to the accident in May 2009.
After Mr Bond-Lewis was injured an urgent safety review was carried out.
In a statement Special Metals Wiggin said it "deeply regrets" the incident.
"The Company has fully co-operated with the Health and Safety Executive throughout its investigations and has made a number of improvements in its health and safety systems to further try and ensure there are no similar incidents in the future," it added.