Safety all-clear at hand-trap accident site

HEALTH and safety inspectors toured a Royton mill just hours before a worker got his hand trapped in machinery.

Artur Blaszczyk is expected to make a full recovery after fire-fighters spent 40 minutes freeing him on Monday lunchtime.

Fire-fighters from Oldham, Rochdale and a heavy rescue vehicle from Ashton attended the accident at Carpenter Ltd in Bee Mill, Shaw Road, and treated it as a potentially fatal injury.

An on-site fork-lift truck was also used in the operation while engineers explained to fire-fighters how the machine worked. He was given oxygen therapy to ease the pain.

Mr Blaszczyk, who had his right hand caught between two conveyor belts, was taken to the Royal Oldham Hospital’s accident-and-emergency department before being transferred to Wythenshawe Hospital for treatment. His injuries are believed to include a broken thumb and are no longer being deemed serious.

The 38-year-old has worked at Carpenter UK for more than two years.

The firm’s operations director, David Hulley, said: “Carpenter has an excellent health and safety record. In fact the Health and Safety Executive had visited the site earlier in the day for a random inspection and was very pleased with the processes we had in place.

“They subsequently returned yesterday afternoon and are happy for the company to continue with its own internal investigation in to the circumstances leading up to the accident.”

Carpenter Ltd are one of the world’s largest foam producers. It’s involved in an award-winning zero waste mattress project, which involves collecting old prison mattresses before granulating and recycling them to produce luxury carpet underlay that is sold all over the UK and mainland Europe.

The American-owned company also produces polyester fibre, widely used as deep loft insulation and in the upholstery and bedding industries, from recycled plastic bottles, which greatly reduces the amount sent to landfill.