What types of hand and finger injury happen at work?
Lacerations, crush injuries, amputations, avulsions/degloving, fractures, burns, vibration-related conditions
What does PUWER 1998 require for machinery guarding?
Guards must be fixed, adjustable or interlocked; must not be easily bypassed; employer must maintain them; reg 11 specifically on dangerous parts
What PPE should be provided?
Gloves appropriate to the risk — PPE Regs 1992/2022
How is a hand injury claim valued?
JCG 17th edition ranges: Index finger amputation: £14,900–£27,330 Loss of two fingers: £27,330–£47,050 Loss of all fingers: £74,800–£91,520 Serious hand injury (not amputation): £29,000–£61,070 Minor hand injury (full recovery): £4,370–£6,610
Amputation and serious hand injuries — what else can you recover?
Prosthetics costs, care, future earnings impact, retraining
What if the machinery guard was broken, removed or bypassed?
PUWER reg 11 breach; employer cannot argue "worker removed the guard" if they did not enforce safe working
What evidence supports the claim?
PUWER maintenance records, training records, guard inspection logs, RIDDOR report, photographs
Sources
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) reg 11
- PPE at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022)
- Judicial College Guidelines, 17th edition (2024)
- HSE — Safe use of machinery (hse.gov.uk/workequipmentmachinery)