A CRADLEY steel firm has been ordered to pay costs and fines of more than £14,000 after a worker became trapped against the frame of a sawing machine, crushing his pelvis.

Boswell and Co (Steels) Ltd, in Park Lane, was fined £10,000 and also ordered to pay £4,400 costs and £120 victim surcharge after pleading guilty to two breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act.

Dudley Council, prosecuting, told Dudley magistrates a safety lock to an access hatch on the sawing machine had been disabled.

While the machine was still operating, the employee became trapped against a moving part of the saw and the frame of the machine, crushing his pelvis.

He was off work for three and a half months.

Councillor Rachel Harris, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “This was a serious breach of health and safety regulations, which left an employee seriously injured.

“Dudley Council will do everything it can to help protect people and this sends out a clear message we will not hesitate to prosecute those firms who fail to do what they should to keep their staff safe.”

The company admitted offences under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 in failing to ensure the health and safety of their employees and under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 in failing to properly maintain work equipment.