A clinical waste disposal company, Tradebe Healthcare National Limited, has been fined £300,000 after a night shift worker’s arm was severed below the elbow in a machinery incident at its Swindon facility. The devastating injury occurred on 4 February 2022, highlighting severe safety failings identified by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The company was also ordered to pay costs of £18,710.
Employee suffered life-changing injury unblocking machinery at Swindon site
The incident took place at the company’s site on Elgin Industrial Estate when the 42-year-old employee was attempting to clear an obstruction from an autoclave machine. While working alongside a colleague, he entered an unsecured rear enclosure to reach the debris. Due to a miscommunication, his colleague mistakenly resumed operation of the machine, trapping and crushing the man’s left arm and severing it from the elbow down.
Following the injury, the worker was rushed to hospital where surgeons spent six hours in a critical effort to save his arm. He has since undergone three major surgeries, including skin grafts from his thigh and vein transplants from both legs, in an attempt to restore function to his hand. Despite these extensive medical interventions, he continues to suffer from constant pain, experiences very limited movement, and struggles significantly with many everyday tasks, impacting his independence and quality of life.
Autoclave machines, particularly rotoclaves used at this site for high-temperature sterilisation of waste, are pressure vessels equipped with lids or doors. They operate by subjecting products to elevated temperatures and greater than atmospheric pressure. The HSE’s comprehensive investigation into the incident uncovered a series of critical safety breaches by Tradebe Healthcare National Limited.
The investigation revealed that the company had failed to implement sufficient measures to protect employees from risks associated with clearing blockages. Workers were exposed to significant danger due to the company’s failure to properly isolate the machine from its power source before cleaning or maintenance. Furthermore, the HSE found that employees had not been provided with adequate information, instruction, or training on the safe operation and cleaning procedures for the machinery.
The investigation also concluded that supervision of employees was insufficient, contributing to the unsafe working conditions.
HSE guidance explicitly underscores the importance of adhering to safe isolation and lock-off procedures before any maintenance or cleaning work is undertaken on machinery. Employers are legally obligated to ensure that all plant and equipment are properly isolated from power sources. Moreover, safety systems must be regularly monitored and reviewed to prevent any inadvertent start-up, which can lead to severe and often life-changing injuries, as tragically demonstrated in this case.
Tradebe Healthcare National Limited, with its registered address at Atlas House Third Avenue, Globe Park, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The court’s decision to impose a substantial fine reflects the gravity of the company’s failings and the severe consequences for its employee.
HSE inspector Emma Preston commented on the case, highlighting the preventable nature of such incidents. She stated that accidents occurring during the cleaning and maintenance of machinery frequently result in life-changing injuries. Inspector Preston stressed the critical need for companies to establish and enforce robust lock-off procedures, ensure effective guarding is in place, and provide comprehensive training to all staff to prevent similar tragedies.
This story was originally published by HSE Media Centre.
