Construction company fined after teen severed thumb off at work

A construction company has been fined £40,000 after a teenager’s thumb was severed off while he was working on a luxury hotel renovation in the Highlands.

The 18-year-old apprentice joiner had to have his thumb reattached by doctors following the accident that happened while he was using a portable table saw to cut plasterboard in June 2021.

The teenager was working with Ayr-based 3B Construction on the conversion of a 19th-century hunting lodge in Tongue.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the apprentice, who had been with the company for six months, used his left hand to flick away material on the saw blade during the project at Hope Lodge.

His hand made contact with the rotating blade, cutting off his thumb.

He raised the alarm with colleagues, who took him to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.

The HSE said his thumb was found a short time later and taken to the hospital where doctors managed to successfully reattach it.

The apprentice told the investigation that his thumb is now working to around 70% of what it used to be, but is shorter than his other thumb and can’t fully bend.

It was described as “permanently swollen” and causes significant discomfort during winter.

Portable table saw shown in the condition it was in at the time of the incident - the top guard and riving knife were removed. — Portable table saw shown in the condition it was in at the time of the incident – the top guard and riving knife were removed. Health and Safety Executive

The teenager resumed his apprenticeship with another firm following the procedure.

The HSE and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) determined that the company failed to follow all of the proper health and safety rules.

An 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, and provide apprentice joiners with the information, instruction and training needed to operate said saw safely.

The company was fined £40,000 at Tain Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to prosecution on July 1, 2025.

HSE inspector Norman Schouten said: “While this young man continues to live with the trauma and impact of this incident, it’s 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.”