Courts / Dublin / Report
Kitchen makers fined €5k after employee lost three fingers using faulty saw
Summary
East Coast Kitchens Factory Ltd was fined €5,000 for health and safety breaches after an employee, Pawel Bodnar, lost three fingers on his right hand while cutting chipboard with a faulty Altendorf F45 sliding table saw on 23 July 2015. Bodnar, who was still employed by the company at the time of the hearing, was operating the saw with gloves on when the guard was broken and the blade's protective cover was mis‑positioned. He was taken to Beaumont Hospital where he underwent surgery but could not regain the fingers. The court found that the company had failed to provide a safe system of work, had not addressed the saw's defects, and had not informed management of the fault. East Coast Kitchens was also ordered to pay €4,731.49 in legal costs. The company has since implemented daily checks and a stricter safety policy. The case is also pending in civil court for restitution to Bodnar.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Kitchen makers fined €5k after employee lost three fingers using faulty saw. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- July 23, 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2017-10-12 Publication
Why: He told Thomas Cassidy, a Health and Safety Authority inspector, that he couldn't remember exactly what happened because of the shock, but that he felt his fingers being cut and pulled his right hand back and held it up. CNI source report
Places mentioned
- Stephenstown Business Park
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Beaumont Hospital
Topics
Related court reports
- Man charged with having 56k child abuse images and videos remanded on bail
- Ex-Dáil hopeful's allegations against former employer 'complete fantasy', WRC told
- Mater must pay €10k to worker who said he was wrongly accused of abusing patient
- 'I think we know I won't be getting bail' - Daniel Kinahan charged with directing criminal organisation
- Letting agent who claimed alleged domestic violence victim abandoned tenancy by fleeing to refuge must pay €14.7k
- 77-year-old with 470 convictions told Luas staff to 'f**k off'
If a fact, identity, locality or legal outcome needs review, email the newsroom with this report's details prefilled.
Email a correction request