A CHEPSTOW company must pay nearly £20,000 after a worker severed part of his finger after putting his hand into a metal grinding machine.

Worker James Piccirilli tore a tendon and cut a nerve in his finger while employed as a machinist at Reid Lifting Limited – a company which makes small cranes and lifting equipment.

Mr Piccirilli, who still works for the company, was making an equipment part on November 26, 2014 when he put his hand into the machine to brush away some debris.

The court heard how Mr Piccirilli, who was wearing gloves at the time, remembered his finger being pulled into the rotating tool..

At Cardiff Crown Court yesterday Judge Michael Burr called Mr Piccirilli “foolish” but said it was right to prosecute the company.

Reid Lifting Limited, based at Newhouse Farm Industrial Estate, admitted one count of contravening health and safety regulations.

Nigel Fryer, prosecuting on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive, said the machine was not guarded and risk assessments were inadequate. He also said the company did not highlight the risk of wearing gloves while operating machinery.

Mr Fryer said: “He understood he shouldn’t have been wearing gloves on the day but that was based on his own common sense and experience rather than being highlighted as a risk during training.”

The company’s defence said Mr Piccirilli had been employed for seven years and had been given training.

The company, which has a turnover of £3.7 million, was fined £12,000 plus £7,566 costs, making a total of £19,566.

Judge Michael Burr said: “The accident itself arose because somebody who I judge to be an experienced employee foolishly and contrary to all normal expectation was not only wearing gloves on the day but actually placed his hand on a piece of rotating equipment on a milling machine.

“And not perhaps unexpectedly the glove got caught in the machine and dragged his finger into it.

“Thankfully we have examined the injury and it was not as bad as it might have been.

“The company upgraded health and safety activities in the country and it seems to me that everything they could have done they have done and are to be credited for exactly that.

“The machine was unguarded and should have been guarded.”