Company fined after worker's fingers guillotined

Photo / Thinkstock

A heating systems manufacturer has been fined after an employee chopped off four fingers while cutting steel with a guillotine.

The man, who worked at Wellington-based Aquaheat Industries, put his hand into the machine to adjust a sheet of metal he was cutting.

He accidentally pushed down on a pedal which activated the machine, amputating four fingers.

The man's since had three of the fingers successfully reattached.

Aquaheat installed a fixed protective guard to the machine involved the day after the incident.

The Lower Hutt District Court's fined the company $16,000, and ordered it to pay $10,000 in reparations.

- Newstalk ZB