A PERSHORE firm was fined £8,000 by Droitwich magistrates after one of its workers was dragged into a lathe and left permanently disabled.

Ray Randall lost part of an ear, broke and dislocated both shoulder blades and fractured his right arm.

He suffered extensive muscle and tissue damage after the accident in March.

Precision engineers Accura Geneva Ltd admitted failing to provide safety for its employees at Droitwich Magistrates' Court on Friday.

The 49-year-old Pershore man was wearing his overalls around his waist, a thermal vest and two jumpers while operating the industrial lathe, used for precision parts, on Wednesday, March 7.

The lathe started to vibrate and Mr Randall leaned across the machinery, which was not fitted with a guard, to adjust it, rather than walking around the back.

He was leaning over the bar which was still rotating at 360 revs per minute, said Paul Smith prosecuting.

As he drew his arm back he realised his sleeve was caught and fought to free himself.

Mr Smith said Accura Geneva, which bought out Geneva Engineering in September 2000, should have safeguarded the welfare of its staff by stressing the importance of wearing overalls and the dangers of the machinery.

Accura Geneva director John Woolford said the firm believed Mr Randall, who was kept on at the time of the receivership and had 20 years' experience, knew the ins and outs of the machine.

Parent company Accura Group had an otherwise exemplary safety record, he added.

We realise we should have ensured people wore their overalls and obeyed the instruction to go behind the machine to adjust it, he said.

Mr Woolford admitted there was no health and safety manager at the time of the accident.

A previous health and safety manager was made redundant by the receivers along with the MD and there was only a team leader who had no responsibility for instructing or disciplining employees, he said.

Mr Woolford said more stringent safety measures had been put in place since the incident and consultants had been employed to ensure employees were clued up on health and safety procedures.