Kent company fined after worker loses fingers that were severed by panel saw
A Kent company has been fined after a worker severed three of his fingers with a panel saw while at work. David Broadway, 36, had been working at Pemberton Timber Frame Limited, a company that manufactures timber frame structures for the construction industry at its site in Evelyn Way in Ramsgate when the incident happened.
He was operating a panel saw on January 4, 2023, and asked to cut down the thickness of a length of a timber - known as a rip cut. This process involved passing a length of timber through the panel saw multiple times as the timber exceeded the depth the blade could cut in one pass.
David successfully completed the cut before flipping the timber over, according to CCTV footage. The second cut was found to be much more difficult.
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He can been seen attempting to feed the timber through the saw and while receiving it from the cut end, his right hand made contact with the saw blade, instantly amputating his index, middle and ring fingers, also cutting his little finger. David said the incident has 'massively impacted' in aspects of his life.
He said: “I used to do weight lifting, ride my bike and keep active. I used to work a lot with my hands and I am now getting frustrated as I can’t do these things.
“Even normal activities like cooking or taking a shower are a challenge. It makes me feel stressed as I can’t do the everyday activities I used to do.”
David now also struggles to care for his children, including his young son, born after the accident. A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that he was asked to complete a task that was not suitable for the machine he was using.
The report reveals Pemberton Timber Frame Ltd had failed to ensure he received sufficient training or instruction on how to use the panel saw safely, which would have included vital information about the limitations of the saw, guarding and other safety features such as a riving knife and the use of a push stick. The saw riving knife was also absent at the time of the incident.
The investigation also discovered that the company had appropriate machines to undertake this task safely but David was unaware of this due to his lack of training. On January 8, 2025, Pemberton Timber Frame Ltd of The Strand, Walmer, Kent pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ court.
The company was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £4,034. Speaking after the hearing, HSE principal inspector Ross Carter said: “Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working and to provide the necessary information, instruction and training to their workers.
“If a suitable safe system of work had been in place prior to the incident, the life changing injuries sustained by Mr Broadway would not have happened.”