Doctors managed to reattach the thumb of an 18-year-old apprentice 聽joiner after it had been severed off by a rotating blade.
The young man resumed his apprenticeship with another firm following the procedure.
He was employed as an apprentice joiner by 3B Construction when the thumb incident happened, working on the conversion of a 19th century hunting lodge into a luxury hotel in the Scottish Highlands.
On 8th June 2021, the apprentice, who had been with the company for six months, was using a portable table saw to cut plasterboard during the project at Hope Lodge in Tongue. Using his left hand to flick away material on the saw blade, he made contact with the rotating blade, cutting off his thumb. He raised the alarm with colleagues who took him to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. His thumb was found a short time later and also taken to the hospital.
After initial treatment the teenager was transferred to St John鈥檚 Hospital In Livingston where he underwent surgery to reattach his thumb.
Four years on, he reckons his thumb is working to around 70% of what it used to be, and it has healed as much as it can. It is shorter than his other thumb, he cannot bend it fully and it is permanently swollen. In cold weather the thumb is prone to stiffness and soreness.
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the incident and found breaches of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. These require employers to take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery or to stop the movement of any dangerous parts of it before any part of a person enters a danger zone.
The HSE investigation found that 3B Construction failed to:
- undertake a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to employees operating a table circular saw
- ensure that the system of work for the operation of said saw was safe and appropriately supervised
- provide apprentice joiners with the information, instruction and training needed to operate said saw safely.
A prosecution was subsequently brought by the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) against 3B Construction.
On 1st July 2025 3B Construction Limited, of Cassillis Business Park in Ayr, was fined 拢40,000 at Tain Sheriff Court after it pleaded guilty to Section 2(1) and Section 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
HSE inspector Norman Schouten said: 鈥淲hile this young man continues to live with the trauma and impact of this incident, it鈥檚 greatly encouraging to see him continuing to work as a joiner. However, it is only the efforts of medical professionals that prevented this from becoming a permanent amputation following the failures of the company. Companies and individuals should be aware that HSE and COPFS will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.鈥�
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