You don’t expect to go to work and come home an amputee as a result of the fault and negligence of your employers but that is what happened to an engineer in Leicester recently.

It is reported Benjamin Asare had been working as an engineer with Kaby Engineers Ltd for less than two weeks when he was involved in a serious accident that resulted in the loss of his right index finger.

Mr Asare was using a pneumatic press when a ram came down and crushed his right hand. His right index finger had to be amputated. Mr Asare has been unable to return to work as a result of the serious injury he sustained.

Kaby Engineers pled guilty to breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Regulations and were fined £10,000.

Once again the Health and Safety Executive found upon investigating the matter that the accident was inevitable and preventable. The ram involved in the accident was running much faster than it should have been. The problem with the running of the ram was recognised when the machine was purchased but the company did nothing to rectify the problem.  A two handed control system could have been developed by the company that would have resulted in Mr Asare and any other workers’ hands being kept well away from the ram and any other parts of the dangerous machinery.

The amputation of a limb can make everyday simple tasks difficult to do and can be life changing in a number of ways. The recovery process following an amputation is often long and difficult but with the right support and treatment can be overcome.