A routine task on a cutting machine has ended with a 21-year-old worker losing part of his finger — and his employer facing a £20,000 fine. It's a stark reminder that machine guarding isn't paperwork; it's the difference between a finished shift and a life-changing injury.
What happened
According to the HSE Media Centre, Thomas Davies was working for Dlinexsign Ltd at the company's premises at Buckingham Road Industrial Estate, Brackley, when the incident occurred. The machine was an automatic saw used to cut lengths of material. Having reached into the machine to retrieve a cut piece, his hand came into contact with the moving saw blade, resulting in a partial finger amputation.
The HSE investigation found that the company had failed to take effective measures to prevent access to the dangerous parts of the machinery. In the words of HSE Inspector Dulanjala Kandana-Arachchige: "This was a preventable incident. Employers have a responsibility to ensure that work equipment can be used safely and that workers are protected from dangerous machinery."
Dlinexsign Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). At Milton Keynes Magistrates' Court on 23 October 2026, the company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £15,000 in compensation to Mr Davies, plus £9,064.34 in prosecution costs.
Why it matters to contractors
PUWER Regulation 11 is one of the most frequently breached duties in HSE prosecutions, and the reason is almost always the same: a worker can physically reach a dangerous moving part while the machine is running. HSE guidance is clear that access to dangerous parts must normally be prevented using fixed guarding — and where access is genuinely required, protective measures such as interlocked guards must ensure the dangerous movement has stopped before anyone can reach the danger zone.
The detail that should sharpen everyone's attention here is the task: reaching in to retrieve a cut piece. That's not reckless behaviour — it's a normal part of using the machine. If your process relies on someone reaching toward a blade to clear or retrieve material, the guarding has to account for that, not assume people will keep their hands clear.
Saws, bench grinders, pipe-threading machines, chop saws and any powered cutting equipment on your site carry exactly the same risk. A guard that's been removed "to speed things up", a damaged interlock, or a machine that keeps running while someone clears offcuts — any of these can put you in the same position as Dlinexsign Ltd.
What to check on your site
- Walk every powered machine and ask: can anyone reach a moving part during normal use, loading, clearing or retrieving material?
- Confirm guards are fitted and in place — fixed guards secured, interlocks tested and working, nothing bypassed or taped over.
- Check interlocks actually stop the dangerous movement before the guard can be opened — not a second or two later.
- Review how offcuts and finished pieces are removed. If it involves reaching toward a blade, change the method or the guarding.
- Make sure operators are trained and authorised for each specific machine, and that the risk assessment reflects how the machine is really used.
- Log a pre-use check so defects, missing guards and damaged interlocks are caught before the machine runs.
- Investigate near-misses properly — the trapped glove or near-miss today is the amputation next month.
SafetyPod documents that help
If your machine-safety paperwork needs tightening, start with a task-specific assessment. Our Risk Assessments library covers common cutting and powered-equipment activities, and the Inspections & Checklists templates give you a pre-start and periodic check routine for plant and equipment. For capturing and learning from incidents and near-misses, the Investigation forms are RIDDOR-ready. And a short, direct Toolbox Talk on machine guarding is a quick way to get operators thinking about where their hands go.
These templates are editable and written to current UK legislation — but guarding safety comes from the controls you put in place and maintain on site, not the document alone.
Don't wait for the investigation
This injury was preventable, and the cost — to the worker most of all — far outweighs the price of getting guarding right. Walk your machines today, test the guards, and fix the method before someone reaches in. Browse the full SafetyPod library to get your machine-safety paperwork in order.