Shropshire haulage firm boss to pay £18,000 after employee loses thumb

Christopher Hazel, who runs Chris Hazel Haulage in Woofferton, near Ludlow, failed to make a "suitable and sufficient" assessment of the risks his employees were being exposed to, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard.

It comes after former worker John Bagley lost his thumb when his overalls got caught up in a shot blasting machine at the site in 2013.

Mr Bagley had claimed that the chain's guard had not been in place on the day of his accident and had not been for some time.

Hazel, who had admitted failing to make suitable risk assessments for his staff using the shot blasting machine at a previous hearing, was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay costs of £10,464.

The 57-year-old was cleared of further charges failing to comply with work equipment regulations and not adhering to health and safety at work regulations by a jury in September.

The court heard how Hazel was a man of previous good character with no other convictions prior to the hearing.

Judge Robin Onions also referred to Mr Bagley's victim impact statement where he stated since the accident he had undergone 17 operations to treat his injuries and that he had not worked since.

Mr Bagley said the accident had impacted on his quality of life, as well as his family's life.

From the evidence Judge Onions had heard, he said that he accepted Hazel completed a risk assessment "in his mind" but it was "essential" that it was reduced to writing and kept in a place readily available to be referred to.

Judge Onions said: "Mr Hazel said his business was hard to run with a lot of paperwork, I get from him that he's a practical man who gets his hands dirty but paperwork was not a strength of his, and his wife said she was only one set of hands.

"Paperwork was a bit of a hassle to him but I'm afraid it's a necessary hassle."

Judge Onions said although Hazel's company was small, paperwork was still important for safety.

However Judge Onions said he accepted that Hazel didn't expect his employees to do anything he wouldn't do himself.

It had also been found that Hazel had not followed guidance from mentor services.

Judge Onions said some of the aggravating features of the case included the "complete lack" of written assessment, that there was no system of daily checks of the machine, a lack of attention to paperwork, as well as failing to take advice given by mentor services.

Judge Onions added that his early guilty plea had been a mitigating factor as well as previous good character and that Hazel was "fundamentally a decent man" who was liked by Mr Bagley prior to the accident.

He added: "I accept Mr Hazel has been affected by the accident but by no means in the way it has affected Mr Bagley."