A Swadlincote-based conveyor systems manufacturer has been fined after an 18-year-old employee sustained a broken arm during a manual deburring task.
The incident happened on 1 December 2023 at Isoma Limited’s site at George Holmes Business Park. The employee was using emery cloth on a rotating manual lathe without a protective aid when his arm became caught in the machinery. HSE investigating inspector Nicole Riley said: “Every year there are accidents involving the use of emery cloths on metalworking lathes, resulting in serious injuries. This incident could have been avoided if Isoma Limited had put in place a suitable safe system of work for employees deburring workpieces on manual lathes. There is clear guidance available to companies who undertake this work.”
An investigation found that the company had neither completed a risk assessment for the task nor established a safe system of work for deburring components. Employers are required to assess the risks involved in using emery cloth on rotating equipment and adopt methods that eliminate the need for the practice or control the hazards where elimination is not feasible.
Isoma Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The business was fined £16,000 and ordered to pay £4,357.77 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge following a hearing at Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court on 20 November 2025.
