Sawmill firm fined after worker’s horrific injury Court hears man’s hand was partially severed

A Perth worker suffered “permanent and life-changing injuries” to his left hand after a horrific accident at a sawmill near Dunkeld.

Twenty-three-year-old Steven Downie had two fingers partially severed as he tried to clear a blockage from a band saw while it was still running.

His hand became trapped by the feed roller and dragged onto the saw blade before he managed to hit the emergency stop button.

He spent months in Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital, underwent 14 operations and could have his whole hand amputated and replaced with a bionic hand.

Perth Sheiff Court heard there had been previous incidents regarding the saw, which the company were aware of, but none had resulted in injury and no action had been taken.

The accident took place at Cally Sawmill on June 23, 2017 - and led to mill operators Timber Project Solutions Ltd. being fined £8000 at the court this week.

The firm admitted contravening health and safety regulations by failing to ensure there was a safe system of work in place at their premises on the Cally Industrial Estate, Blairgowrie Road, between May 19 and June 23, 2017.

Senior depute fiscal Fiona Caldwell told the court: “There was no safe way to clean the machine without turning the saw off but the practice had developed of cleaning it while the saw was operating.”

Mr Downie suffered a “serious and disfiguring laceration” to his left hand and partial amputation of the middle and ring fingers.

The fiscal added: “Substantial reconstructive surgery was carried out on the hand, however the ring finger needed to be fully amputated and the extent of any recovery in the function of his hand is uncertain.”

The saw had cut off the top of his middle and ring fingers at the first joint and almost severed the skin holding the thumb onto his hand.

“He cannot use his left hand at all to carry out any daily activities of living - dressing, cooking and cutting food,” explained Ms Caldwell.

He had also been prevented from golfing, boxing, mountain biking and going to the gym and he “rarely” went out socially.

The fiscal added: “He also gets phantom pain and flashbacks to the accident.

“He does not know if he will be able to return to work. This is causing him a great deal of distress.”

Mr Eric Taylor, a director of Doncasterbased Timber Project Solutions, was present in court and heard details of the life-changing accident.

Counsel Susan Duff said: “The fact that one of his employees was so seriously injured has hit him hard and caused him to review all the health and safety procedures that were in place at the sawmill.”

They had since designed a “tunnel guard” to prevent access to moving parts of the saw.

She added: “It also carried out a full review of all its activities to ensure that all risks had been properly and fully addressed.”