Road Planing Contractor Fined After Worker Suffers Leg Amputation in Milling Machine Incident

A road planing contractor has been fined more than £92,000 after a worker suffered life-changing injuries when his leg became trapped in a road milling machine.

The incident happened on 14 February 2024 on Wade Road, when a 32-year-old operative working for Power Plane Limited became entangled in the rotating milling drum of the machine.

The worker’s foot became caught by the drum, pulling him into the equipment and resulting in catastrophic injuries. Emergency services amputated his right leg at the scene.

Following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Power Plane Limited, based in Hinckley, Leicestershire, was found to have failed to implement adequate safety measures to prevent access to dangerous moving parts of the machinery.

Investigators discovered that the machine’s “protective bow” — a manufacturer-designed guard intended to restrict access to the rotating milling drum — had not been fitted at the time of the incident. The HSE also found the company had routinely operated machinery without the required safety guards installed.

HSE Inspector Peter Crees said:

“Every year, a significant proportion of accidents, many of them serious or fatal, are caused by poorly guarded work equipment.

“This was a wholly avoidable incident, caused by a failure to guard dangerous parts. Had the company simply fitted the manufacturer’s guard to the machine, this life-changing injury could have been prevented.”

The injured worker was unable to return to work for more than a year following the incident and continues to suffer significant long-term physical and psychological effects, including persistent pain and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Power Plane Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

The company was fined £92,450 and ordered to pay an additional £6,781 in costs during a hearing at Aldershot Magistrates’ Court on 13 May 2026.

The HSE reiterated that employers are legally required to take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery and ensure all work equipment is used in accordance with manufacturers’ safety instructions and guidance.