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Halesowen company fined £750k after worker killed in horrific machine incident - Birmingham Live
Somers Forge Limited was fined £750,000 after failing to prevent unsafe use of handheld emery cloth on lathes, leading to a machinist’s death in a 20-metre lathe incident.
- On February 18, 2026, Somers Forge Limited was fined £750,000 and ordered to pay £38,314 at Walsall Magistrates' Court after pleading guilty to breaching Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
- HSE's investigation found Somers Forge failed to prohibit handheld emery cloth on metalworking lathes, prevent access to moving parts, ensure PPE avoided entanglement risk, and lacked risk assessment and safe operating procedures.
- Hardiman was working on a 20-metre lathe when he used a handheld emery cloth to finish a rotating component, sustaining catastrophic injuries and dying later despite emergency services' efforts.
- Prosecuting the case, Chloe Ward, HSE enforcement lawyer, said the family responded that 'We can't comprehend how someone can go to work and not come home again', while Somers Forge Limited spokesperson said the company was deeply saddened and committed to employee safety.
- Under HSE guidance, it is clear that using emery cloth by hand on rotating parts is unacceptable, and Sophie Neale, HSE Inspector, said the death was preventable with employer duty to provide safe systems of work against foreseeable risks from dangerous machinery.
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