The incident happened in July 2021 at Amberset Ltd in Kent, which is a sister company of paper merchant and converter Scalderhurst, and operates from the same site. 

The employee was drawn into the rewinder by their hand, and sustained injuries involving three broken bones in their shoulder, bruising of the elbow and wrist and superficial damage to their head. 

Surgery following the incident required metal plates and pins to be fitted in the employee’s shoulder and arm. 

An investigation by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) found that the paper rewinder was not suitably guarded, and that had been the case since August 1998. 

“The rewinder allowed access to dangerous parts of machinery at various places including the front of the rewinder where the employee was drawn by their hand between two exposed rollers,” HSE stated. 

Amberset was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £2,197.65 after pleading guilty to breaching regulation 11(1)(a) of the Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, at a case heard at Folkestone Magistrates Court earlier this month. 

HSE inspector Peter Bruce noted that employers should regularly review the safety measures across their plant and equipment to ensure that access to dangerous parts is prevented. 

“The guidance on safe operation of paper rewinders is well established, as is the law and guidance on guarding dangerous parts of machinery,” he stated.

“It is fortunate that the quick action of the employee’s colleagues in stopping the machine, ensured that they were not pulled further into the machine as their injuries could have been much worse if not fatal.”

The HSE has a raft of guidance available for managing paper safely in paper-related industries.