Had an accident at work – advice please.

A week last Thursday I had an accident at work. I was working on my own cutting wood on a circular saw to make one of our products. The saw has a spring loaded guard on it and I was using it carefully but I was also conscious that I had to get the job done quickly. I cannot remember exactly what happened now but I have a very vivid memory of turning away from the saw and blood spraying up from my hand. I got help and eventually ended up in hospital. I have a 4″ long deep laceration along my thumb. I cut through two tendons and half of another. There is a deep groove cut into the bone and I have damaged the first joint of my thumb. I have had surgery but they can’t fix the tendons as too much is missing. I have nerve damage to my thumb, the ‘web’ of my hand and my first finger.
As yet I have no idea how much use I will have from my hand once it is healed. I do have movement from my thumb so that’s a big plus.
My MD visited me when I came out of hospital and told me that they had cleaned the saw up and found that the guard was sticking. I am certain that it wasn’t while I was using it so my only explanation is that it blocked up with sawdust and the first time it stuck I managed to catch my hand in it and it dragged me in.
I have been asked to write an account of what happened so that work can submit a report to RIDDOR. Anyone any experience of this? I was going to write pretty much what I’ve put above but I don’t want to ‘misrepresent’ myself. Advice please.

Tell the truth, that you were working carefully but quickly. Whether the accident was due to working at speed / a briefest moment of inattention; I’d say immaterial, that’s what the guard is there for.

It’s not for you to speculate why the guard didn’t work, it’s clear it didn’t, and therefore needs to be looked at and the cause found and rectified.

If you say you were working quickly I’d also add why you were. Pressure from boss to get or the job out, etc.

Mention anything you did to mitigate risks. Eg checked the guard before use, correctly adjusted the blade height, etc. Is there an up to date risk assessment for that machine? Did you follow all the guidelines?

Finally are you looking for financial compensation? That would seem reasonable if you acted reasonably and followed correct procedure.

Yes. Write what you know. Not what you think or guess because that may lead to somebody pulling it apart to discredit your account. But keep notes of what people from work are telling you.

Have you been formally trained in the use of this saw and are there training records to back that up? Hopefullyyour ememployers will give you help and support but if not you may have to resort to claiming from their insurance. If you haven’t been formally trained you will be in a better position.

Your MD is an honest man!

Tell’t troof innit, he’s alreday said there was a a fault with the gear. You’re not going to get into bother for it and if they’re as straight as they seem they won’t either. There may be a HSE investigation so don’t go making shit up cos you may have to recount it under caution – as may your employer.

RaveyDavey – the HSE recognise acquired competence as much as ‘formal training’ so if Mr Sparkle is a chippy with 20 years experience they expect to him to be able to handle himself around a saw better than someone who’d been given on their first day after their ‘saw training’ toolbox talk.

Sorry to hear that…. sounds pretty horrible.

You know whether you were working safely. Assuming that you were following the rules (and it sounds like you were) then you should only provide the information you’re certain of rather than speculating.

I hope that they treat you right though, especially if there was any issue with the guarding.

I’d not say anything about working “quickly”. Aside from the fact that this is subjective rather than factual – one man’s quickly is another’s slowly is another’s reckless – it’s irrelevant information. You’re adding nothing (unless you’re going to argue that they were putting you under undue pressure) and potentially giving them a hook that you may have been working irresponsibly.

The safety guard should work regardless, unless it’d been tampered with or is faulty. Stick to the facts. “I was doing this, this happened, I don’t remember that, blood, hospital.”

Good luck in healing well.

I never thought I’d say this but it does sound exactly the sort of incident that the ‘injurylawyers4you’ type companies are set up to deal with (assuming you’re not in a union and even then maybe)

I’d be talkign to one of them before I did anything formal with the company.

Regardless of the above, sound like a horrific injury – I hope that long term prognosis is not as bad as it sounds now.

My MD visited me when I came out of hospital and told me that they had cleaned the saw up and found that the guard was sticking. I am certain that it wasn’t while I was using it so my only explanation is that it blocked up with sawdust and the first time it stuck I managed to catch my hand in it and it dragged me in.

It was sticking because it was clogged up with blood and tendons 🙂 It needn’t have been faulty when you started using it – a fault can occur at anytime, it can be bad luck rather than bad actions on anyones behalf. The best you can do is check before you use it and check again when you finish that you’re not leaving bad news for anyone else – but luck might have it that a fault happens between those two points

Sometimes machines can go between working and catastrophically faulty in an instant. I used to have a Bosch mitre saw where the action of the spring loaded guard worked to loosen the bolts that held it – it wasn’t apparent those bolts were loose until they let go completely and the spring launched the guard into the blade and the blade launched the whole mechanism in pieces at the operator. But up until that moment everything worked as it should.

RaveyDavey – the HSE recognise acquired competence as much as ‘formal training’ so if Mr Sparkle is a chippy with 20 years experience they expect to him to be able to handle himself around a saw better than someone who’d been given on their first day after their ‘saw training’ toolbox talk.

I think you’ll find that this will fall down in a claims court though. The days of acquired competence are coming to an end. We have to show formal training records for all manual machines, although it’s band saws, lathes and mills rather than circular saws. I’m not saying I agree with it, just that’s how it is.

Sounds like your employer is looking to do the right thing & that they’ve investigated the incident properly. If this results in a change of practice on that machine to prevent it happening again, even better.

They/their insurers may have a rehab company & claim negotiation facility available so it may be worth asking the question.

If you are a union member then contact them re claiming – the injurylawyer4u brigade are not in business for your benefit as much as theirs and this has been curtailed following a capping of their earnings in such cases.

Any safety course I have ever done has competence assessed by a variety of sources. Experience is one of them. I know loads of people trained and with tickets for stuff. Noone lets them drive or rig anything!! Qualifications can help but are no guarantee of competence.

Amputation and injury doesn’t pay as much you’d think either so dinnae get too excited. Circular saws take a lot of chippies thumbs off. I know of 3 and only know about 5 carpenters.

I was recently advised to get personal accident insurance along with my PL insurance as a freelancer.

Right the facts.

What you were doing.

What you were using.

What PPE you were wearing.

How the machine was when you found it.

What happened.

Circular saws take a lot of chippies thumbs off. I know of 3 and only know about 5 carpenters.

Scary, I’ve got three circular saws…

I always wear gloves mind, so will probably be OK 😉

Do you not worry about a saw tooth catching on that glove and dragging your whole arm into the saw?

Wear gloves but don’t put your fingers in the holes, thereby giving yourself a chance 😀

Good time to post this?

Do you not worry about a saw tooth catching on that glove and dragging your whole arm into the saw?

No.

Eek…sounds like a horrible injury.

I have no experience but would have thought that a factual account would be best…don’t make any assumptions.

I think working quickly is subjective (as Cougar suggests) – you were either working safely or you were not. If you feel the speed at which you were working meant that you were not working safely, then be prepared for HSE to say you were at fault.

I’m planning to start woodworking in my new garage, but stories like this put me off getting any power tools! Although, I kind of know that I should be comfortable with hand tools before power tools*.

*I just like gadgets.

You can get table saws that fire a block of Aluminium into the blade if you touch the blade. Supposedly before they cut a finger off…..

You can get table saws that fire a block of Aluminium into the blade if you touch the blade. Supposedly before they cut a finger off…..

Can you? Someone should post a link 🙂

Do you not worry about a saw tooth catching on that glove and dragging your whole arm into the saw?

No.[/quote]

You should do.

I know several joiners, and none will even consider using gloves with circular saws. Without gloves, you generally get some kind of notice your hand is gettig near to the blade, be it the airflow around the blade, catching the hairs on your hand, or removing a bit skin before the blade grabs you properly.
With a glove, the first you know is when the blade has gripped your glove and your hand/arm is quickly being pulled somewhere you really don’t want it to.

This doesn’t just apply to saws, it applies to anything moving.
My brother-in-law leanrt before christmas that woven nitrile gloves and fan belts don’t mix, and is now currently waiting for an appointment to get one of his toes moved to where his thumb used to be attached.
He’d put his hand in to check something on a running engine, something which he’ll of done hundreds of times before as a mechanic, and the glove caught on the belt which pulled his thumb into and around one of the pulleys, before bouncing his hand of the engine compartment side. He admits that wearing gloves was the problem. If he had of had no gloves on, or thin disposable ones, he thinks he would of felt his hand get near the belt before it gripped.

But if you think you’re safer wearing gloves, keep on thinking that, but don’t come crying when you realise otherwise!

http://www.sawstop.com/why-sawstop/the-technology

http://www.sawstop.com/why-sawstop/the-technology

Not available in the UK apparently….

but don’t come crying when you realise otherwise!

Rest assured I won’t.

Sorry. Joking about the link as I’d already posted a video of it in action. 🙂 See if you can watch it without wincing. Voiceover is a bit annoying but the demo is pretty cool.

Best advice i got when i started my apprenticeship and using power tools at age 18, our company refused us to use them till 18 , was always know where your fingers hands are in relation to moving parts, blades or cutters, and always look after your eyes.

Spring loadedguard, was it above the blade enclosing it, or a guard on a cross cut saw, either way your fingers should be away from the guard, thats what its there for.

Make a good recovery.

When I was a lad older motor mechanics often wore a collar and tie. Not nice getting that caught round the fanbelt.

OP – I hope you haven’t lost your sparkle.

I think you are asking an excellent question

I have to say I’d be tempted to get professional advice. I’m not in any way legally qualified but it may only be possible to get compensation through the threat of legal action. You clearly want to tell the truth but exactly what you say may effect possible legal action. Presumably your not in a Union? You could talk to Citizens advice or approach a solicitor. Personally I’d steer clear of Ambulance chasers at this point

In the mean time I hope you make a good recovery and that you can continue to do everything that you use to be able to do