Larfarge Cement have been fined £200,000 after a quarry worker was left severely injured and permanently scarred after falling into an electric fan in Dunbar Works, East Lothian, last January.

The international building materials company admitted two offences under health and safety laws at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday; they pleaded guilty to failing to provide employees with adequate training, instruction and supervision for the task in that it was carried out without appropriate guards in place and admitted failing to make suitable assessment of the risks.

The incident occurred when Stuart Richardson, who had worked at the quarry for nine years, was asked to help a colleague with a motor on the quarry's stacker machine, which crushes limestone to make cement.

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The electric fan on the motor was left uncovered and Mr Richardson became entangled in it when it was switched on.

Mr Richardson had to undergo emergency surgery to repair skeletal damage to his face, needed bone plates and screws to his mouth and his left ear was later amputated.

He was left with scars to his arms and rib cage and is still unable to eat and drink properly due to loss of control of his lower lip following the incident.

A health and safety inspection of the site the day after the accident showed there was no sufficient system of work in place at the time and that neither of the men - nor a third man who was operating the controls of the motor during the accident - had had any training in risk assessment.

Sheriff Kenneth Maciver said: "I'm satisfied and I think the Health and Safety Executive is satisfied that steps have been taken."

But he added: "This was a wholly avoidable accident, that is accepted by the company quite properly and I was impressed by the way the company have made no excuses as is regularly the case."

The court heard the company has tightened safety measures and added training is now in place.

Duncan Mawby, representing Lafarge said: "This was a most regrettable incident which should never have happened.

"This is an accident that the company accepts was preventable and the company accepts full responsibility for what occurred.

"Lessons have been learned and an incident such as this should never occur again."

(GK/JM)