Council fined £16k after school technician lost finger while operating machine

Adi Soday, a technician at The Forest School in Horsham, lost his right index finger when it was sliced off by a circular bench saw in June 2022.

The 29-year-old, who worked in the design and technology (DT) department, had been operating the saw to cut pieces of wood that were set to be used for a DT lesson.

While pushing one of the sheets of wood through the saw, Mr Soday, who was 27 at the time, felt a pain in his right index finger and immediately turned off the machine.

As he looked down, he saw his finger lying on the bench, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said.

An investigation by the HSE found West Sussex, the local authority in charge of the school, failed to ensure Mr Soday was trained to use the bench circular saw. He had used the saw many times but had not been trained on how to use it safely.

West Sussex County Council pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 9 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

The local authority was fined £16,000, ordered to pay £4,294.60 in costs and a victim surcharge of £190 at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on 3 July 2024.

HSE inspector Russell Beckett said: “Workers must be trained properly when using high risk woodworking such as bench circular saws. This incident could have been prevented had West Sussex County Council provided Mr Soday with proper training.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Iain Jordan and supported by HSE paralegal officer Imogen Isaac.

A West Sussex County Council spokesperson said: “We have accepted responsibility for our part in the significant injury Mr Soday sustained and pleaded guilty to the health and safety breach.

“The incident occurred in June 2022 and we took immediate action to reduce the risk of anything similar happening in schools in West Sussex with design and technology workshops.

“This included reaffirming that all schools maintained by the county council with such workshops understand their duties under the Regulations, and supply evidence of compliance to West Sussex County Council."

The spokesperson added: “Schools are required to provide assurance that staff using equipment and machinery have been adequately trained and that proper records are held. The Council’s health and safety team conduct visits to monitor compliance and support schools to meet their obligations.”