Council fined £90k after horror accident that saw road worker's arm trapped and later amputated

dailyrecord.co.uk:

South Lanarkshire Council has been fined £90,000 after a road worker had his arm amputated following a horrific accident.The male victim's limb became trapped as he tried to remove debris from a machine, Hamilton Sheriff Court heard on Friday.The 38-year-old was airlifted to hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android The council admitted a breach of the Health and Safety Act.The accident happened in a layby near Happendon junction of the M74 in on February 22, 2019.The victim was a member of a road surface repair team.At the time he'd worked with the council for nearly 10 years, but he'd missed formal training when the tarmac-laying machine was purchased and had to rely on on-the-job training.There was no bolt to keep the machine's guard in place.

When Mr Lennox moved the guard and put his gloved hand inside to remove debris that should have been cleared the previous day, he was caught by a rotating screw.Firefighters had to dismantle the machine before he could be freed.The court heard that the man's arm was amputated at the elbow.Although he continues to work for the council, he can no longer go to the gym or play badminton with his son.Defence advocate Barry Smith said the design of the machine was such that even had a bolt been in place the guard could