Ibstock Brick Ltd has been fined £530,000 for safety breaches after a worker lost his hand.

North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard how, on 28 February 2020, a maintenance engineer was in the process of polishing a metal shaft as it rotated in a manual lathe, using an emery cloth directly by hand while wearing gloves.

The cloth became entangled around the rotating shaft and dragged the engineer into the lathe resulting in his hand being severed in the machine. The engineer subsequently underwent surgical amputation below the elbow.

An HSE investigation found that there were failures in the arrangements and controls for the task performed. The risk assessment in place was not suitable and sufficient in that it did not properly assess or address entanglement risk associated with the direct manual application of emery cloth to the workpiece or the use of gloves.

There was inadequate training, instructions and supervision to ensure that the risks from entanglement with gloves or the emery cloth were prevented.

Ibstock Brick Ltd of Newcastle under Lyme pleaded guilty to safety breaches and was fined £530,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,548.20

After the hearing, HSE inspector Marie-Louise Riley-Roberts said: “Those in control of work have a responsibility to assess risk and devise safe methods of working in which their employees should then be instructed and trained.

“If Ibstock Brick Ltd had, had effective managerial arrangements in place for the task undertaken and ensured their employees were following a safe system of work, based upon risk assessment, safe systems of work, supervision, information, instruction and training, then the life changing injuries sustained by this worker could have been prevented.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards”.

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Procurement body Scape is preparing to open bidding in February for spots on its third generation civil engineering framework.

The new enlarged format puts net zero carbon construction and work for local SMEs at the heart of delivery of an estimated £4bn pipeline over four years.

The re-procurement includes a £3.25bn framework for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and a separate £750m framework for Scotland, managed and operated by SCAPE Scotland.

Scape’s existing frameworks were both secured by Balfour Beatty. More than 250 projects have been commissioned to date for public sector clients, are due to expire in January 2023.

It new frameworks will allow public bodies access to net-zero ready specialist contractors to help them achieve their aims around climate change.

Local businesses will sit at the heart of the new frameworks, with the successful principal contractor expected to engage with an extensive supply chain of SMEs.

This allows better access for small businesses to major public sector contracts they might otherwise not have been able to bid for, while also allowing clients to procure locally-sourced specialist services.

They will also benefit from being able to agree termed service options following any major works, allowing contractors to form long term relationships with clients and local supply chains.

Contractors will also be able to agree cost reimbursable contracts through the addition of NEC Option E.

Scape plans to hold virtual market awareness days for prospective bidders on 17 January 2022 for Scotland and 19 January 2022 for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

A contract notice will be published in February 2022 with preferred bidders announced in November 2022.

Mark Robinson, group chief executive at Scape, added: “Through the addition of a termed service agreement option, the four-year frameworks will allow contractors to build long-term relationships with clients and supply chain partners, helping them to grow their business and employ new staff from the local communities they serve.”