Director to Stand Trial After Worker Scalped

The worker became entangled in a high speed moulder on the production line.

On June 30, 2016, a woman was working at a factory that manufactures wood fixtures when her hair was caught in a machine. The worker was scalped, lost her left ear and even the thumb on her left hand.

The woman, Karolina Lubieniecka, was working at Cheshire Mouldings & Woodturnings Limited in the UK when she became entangled on a Weinig Powermat 2020 High Speed Moulder on the production line.

The woman is permanently visually impaired and the company pleaded guilty to failing to discharge its general health, safety and welfare duty.

However, the case isn’t over yet as 49-year-old Business Project Manager Paul Carney will stand trial over the incident.

Carney was charged with breaching health and safety regulations in relation to the incident in June 2016. According to reports, prosecutors allege that Carney "consented to or connived at or by his neglect caused or contributed to the commission of the offences".

Carney denies the charges and will stand trial in June 2019.

Back in April 2018, nearly two years after the incident, Health & Safety Executive (HSE) (the OSHA equivalent in the UK) served the company prohibition notices that stated that the company failed to take effective measures to prevent access to the dangerous parts of the infeed section of the Weinig 2020 line situated in the Mouldings Mill.

According to HSE, rotating shafts and rope and pulley drives still expose employees to the risk of entanglement, amputation, fractures and lacerations.

Cheshire Mouldings produces timber mouldings, decking and other products. According to the company’s website, the Carney family founded the company in 1988 with a simple idea in mind “To be the best”. 

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