COURT FINES DLINEXSIGN £20,000 OVER SAW INJURY

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said Dlinexsign Ltd received a £20,000 fine after a worker lost part of a finger in an automatic saw at its Brackley premises. Thomas Davies reached into the operating machine to retrieve a cut piece of material, and his hand touched the moving blade. The injury occurred at Buckingham Road Industrial Estate. Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court also ordered the engineering company to pay Davies £15,000 in compensation. The court imposed £9,064.34 in prosecution costs on 23 October 2026.

HSE investigators found that Davies could reach the saw’s moving parts while the machine cut lengths of material. They said Dlinexsign had failed to take effective measures to prevent access to those parts. Dlinexsign, of Shires Road, Brackley, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The regulation covers employers’ use of work equipment, including machinery.

HSE Inspector Dulanjala Kandana-Arachchige said: “This incident demonstrates the serious consequences that can result when access to dangerous parts of machinery is not effectively prevented.” HSE guidance says employers must prevent access to dangerous machine parts. It says fixed guards normally provide that protection. Where workers need access, the guidance says employers may need interlocked guards to stop dangerous movement before someone can reach the machinery.