The community of Halesowen is mourning the tragic loss of Nick Hardiman, a 54-year-old machinist from Kidderminster, whose life was needlessly cut short in a workplace incident at Somers Forge Limited. On December 8, 2023, Nick was working with a heavy-duty, 65-foot-long lathe machine when he became fatally entangled.
The incident occurred while Nick was using a handheld emery cloth to finish a rotating metal component. This seemingly routine task, however, exposed him to the lathe’s dangerous moving parts, leading to his devastating entanglement. Emergency services responded, but Nick tragically died later that evening.
A subsequent investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) deemed his death “entirely preventable.” The probe revealed that Somers Forge Limited had failed on multiple crucial safety fronts. They neglected to ban the use of handheld emery cloth on lathes, didn’t prevent access to dangerous machinery, and failed to ensure workers’ personal protective equipment (PPE) wouldn’t create a risk of entanglement. Crucially, the company also lacked suitable risk assessments and safe operating procedures for the machinery.
Somers Forge Limited later pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations, resulting in a hefty fine of £750,000 and additional costs of £38,314. However, for Nick’s heartbroken family, no fine can ever replace their beloved Nick.
His partner, Melanie, shared her profound grief: “He had everything to live for… now I just exist. I will forever miss the sound of his voice, the smell of his aftershave, the feel of his cuddles and kisses.” Nick’s father, Michael, and his siblings echoed this devastation, questioning how someone can go to work and never come home.
This tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the paramount importance of strict workplace safety. The HSE stresses that using emery cloth by hand on rotating components is never acceptable due to the extreme risk of entanglement. Every employer has a moral and legal obligation to protect their workers and ensure such preventable incidents never happen again.
Source: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/much-loved-midland-worker-dies-33494851
