A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation following the incident, in which 62-year-old employee Robert Waters crushed a finger between two rollers on an Omat Flexographic printer, found that the guard on the machine was not fit for purpose and was poorly maintained.
The investigation also found the company’s training, instruction and supervision to be inadequate.
Saxmundham-based Tenza Technologies was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £3,613 in costs after admitting to health and safety breaches.
HSE inspector Ivan Brooke said that the incident could have been prevented had Tenza Technologies had more robust safety systems in place.
He added: "It is essential that all control measures are routinely monitored and assessed to ensure they are fit for purpose. Otherwise employee safety is compromised – as was the case here.
"HSE will not hesitate to prosecute dutyholders who choose to ignore their duty of care and legal responsibilities in this way."
In a statement released to PrintWeek the company said that whilst the company did not agree with all the HSE's findings, it had admitted that a member of staff had been injured whilst working at the facility and a guilty plea was entered.
The statement said: "Tenza regrets that there was an unfortunate accident involving a print machine at a factory that has got an otherwise exemplary safety record, as the HSE recognised in their submission to the tribunal.
"The company considers the Health and Safety of staff as a priority and full risk assessments are undertaken and regularly updated for every activity. Therefore, any accident is treated extremely seriously and the company cooperated fully with the HSE investigation."
