Brackley manufacturer fined £20,000 after worker loses part of finger in inadequately guarded saw

Dlinexsign Ltd has been fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £15,000 in compensation after a worker lost part of a finger reaching into an inadequately guarded automatic saw at its Brackley premises, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said.

The company, which HSE described as an engineering company, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) at Milton Keynes Magistrates' Court on 23 October 2026. It was also ordered to pay £9,064.34 in prosecution costs.

HSE said Thomas Davies, 21, was working for the company when he reached into the machine to retrieve a cut piece of material. His hand came into contact with the moving blade and he lost part of his finger.

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."

The investigation

The incident happened at the company's premises at Buckingham Road Industrial Estate, Brackley, according to HSE. The saw was used to cut lengths of material, and the regulator said Mr Davies was able to reach into the machine and access the dangerous moving parts while it was operating.

HSE's investigation found Dlinexsign Ltd had failed to take effective measures to prevent access to the dangerous parts of the machinery.

The prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Tom Ledden-Rocks and paralegal officer Natalie Ellis. HSE noted that it does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect fines imposed by the courts.

Order made by the court	Amount
Fine	£20,000
Compensation to Mr Davies	£15,000
Prosecution costs	£9,064.34

Companies House lists Dlinexsign Ltd under company number 01864296, with its registered office at Unit A Shires Road, Buckingham Road Industrial Estate, Brackley, Northamptonshire. Its nature of business is recorded under SIC code 32990, other manufacturing not elsewhere classified.

The regulator's lesson

HSE said employers must take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery. This is normally achieved with fixed guarding, but where access is needed, other protective measures such as interlocked guards may be necessary so that dangerous movement has stopped before a person can reach the danger zone.

Ms Kandana-Arachchige said: "This was a preventable incident. Employers have a responsibility to ensure that work equipment can be used safely and that workers are protected from dangerous machinery."

Regulation 11 of PUWER, headed "Dangerous parts of machinery", requires every employer to ensure effective measures are taken in a set order. The first step is fixed guards enclosing every dangerous part where practicable. Where that is not practicable, the regulation requires other guards or protection devices, and failing that, jigs, holders, push-sticks or similar protection appliances used with the machinery.

HSE's machinery safety guidance says fixed guards, for example secured with screws or nuts and bolts, should enclose dangerous parts whenever practical. Where that is not practical, it says other methods should be used, such as interlocking the guard so the machine cannot start before the guard is closed. The guidance also says employers should think about the risks of any machine, and how they can be managed, before they or their workers use it.

According to HSE's PUWER overview, the regulations place duties on people and companies who own, operate or have control over work equipment, which it defines as any machinery, appliance, apparatus, tool or installation for use at work.

The national picture

HSE's latest headline statistics record 59,219 injuries to employees reported under RIDDOR in Great Britain, and 680,000 working people sustaining an injury at work according to the Labour Force Survey. The regulator records 126 workers killed in work-related accidents in 2025/26.