Magistrates have ruled that a workplace accident which cost a man four fingers on his right hand could have been prevented.

Allan Davis, 55, of Selby, suffered severe injuries to his right hand while operating a circular saw at Record RSS, a play equipment manufacturer based at the Shipyard Industrial Estate in Selby, last June.

Playpower UK Ltd, based in Surrey, the parent company of Record, pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations when making wooden discs used in playground mini-roundabouts.

The court heard Mr Davis had fixed a wooden disc to the circular saw table, but the disc caught the blade and pulled his right hand towards the cutting tool.

The damage was so severe that surgeons had to amputate four of Mr Davis’ fingers below the knuckle.

Philip Moy, for Playpower UK Ltd, said Mr Davis was an experienced employee who had worked for Record since 1990, and had been an inspection and maintenance engineer with the company since 2008.

Mr Moy said Playpower often used workers from Record, and that Mr Davis was considered a competent worker who had also trained other workers in the use of factory machinery.

The court heard Mr Davis returned to work at Record in November 2010, and had brought a civil case against Playpower, which was ongoing.

Inspector Geoff Fletcher, of the Health And Safety Executive, which brought the prosecution, said an electronic router was available in the factory to cut the discs, but was unusable because a computer programme to instruct the router had not been created.

Insp Fletcher said: “Mr Davis suffered a severe injury in a completely preventable incident. The absence of a proper procedure for making the discs meant an improvised and dangerous way of working had developed over time without assessment and any managerial oversight or supervision.”

Magistrate Deborah Chipps told the court: “We have heard that Mr Davis didn’t receive proper training, but had been shown the basics by others. It was basically piecemeal training. A safe system of work was not in place.”

Playpower was ordered to pay costs of £2,382, a fine of £4,700, and a victim surcharge of £15.