A man has been left with burns after suffering an accident at work in a foundry in Stoke-on-Trent.
The 28-year-old employee suffered severe burns to his left arm and upper legs after falling into a pit of molten metal with a temperature of over 900 degrees Celsius.
He had been using a long-handled tool to scrape impurities from the top of a freshly poured casting when he tripped and fell into the unfenced gap between the metal mould and the pit in which the mould was located.
This accident left him in need of skin grafts on his limbs, although they remain permanently scarred over a year after the event. He is also undergoing physiotherapy for restricted movement in his arm, hand and fingers and has been unable to return to work due to trauma.
The fact that the pit was unfenced has resulted in a prosecution against the employer from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
HSE found the firm guilty of breaching Regulation 13(5) of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and have fined the company £8,000 and ordered them to pay £4,798 in costs.
Grayam Barnes, HSE inspector, commented: “Falling into the pit was foreseeable and likely to cause serious, or even fatal, injuries with the presence of molten metal in this work area.
"Companies, particularly those working with dangerous substances, must ensure they fit suitable guard railing or covers to protect their workers," he added.