Lafarge Cement fined £200,000 after welder loses an ear

A cement manufacturer has been fined £200,000 after a quarry worker lost an ear after falling into an electric fan.

Welder Stuart Richardson is still unable to eat or drink properly due to loss of control of his lower lip caused by the accident at a Lafarge Cement quarry in Dunbar, Scotland on January 29 2007.

Richardson was helping a colleague with one of four motors on the quarry’s stacker machine, which crushes limestone to make cement, when he got tangled in an uncovered electric fan on the motor.

He underwent emergency surgery to repair skeletal damage to his face and needed bone plates and screws to his mouth. His ear was later amputated.

It is not clear how he got tangled in the fan, Edinburgh Sherriff Court heard today.

Lafarge pleaded guilty to two health and safety breaches and told the court it had tightened its safety procedures and started training staff the day after the accident.

According to the Scotsman, the fine was reduced from £300,000 because Sheriff Kenneth Maciver was satisfied changes had been made and the company made no excuses for the accident.

Mr Richardson still works for Lafarge as a reliability inspector.