A West Yorkshire man has received £100,000 compensation after a faulty machine at work caused him a long-term back injury and led to him developing depression.

Andrew Pickles, 52, was working for manufacturer SIA Fibral Limited when the protective guard on a machine used to press abrasive materials jammed. He attempted to lift the guard, which weighed approximately 80kg, and injured his back.

Andrew and his colleagues had complained about the machine and its guard, which should have been hydraulically operated owing to its weight. It had initially been replaced with an older model but, when that broke down, his employer returned to using the faulty machine press.

“I’m not the same person I was before the accident.”

Andrew Pickles Unite member and Thompsons' client

The soft-tissue injury Andrew suffered caused him substantial back pain and he developed depression. He was off work for 18 months before leaving the company for good and has since taken a lower paid job elsewhere that doesn’t require heavy lifting.

As a member of Unite the union, Andrew was able to turn to Unite Legal Services and instructed Thompsons Solicitors to make a compensation claim.

“I’m not the same person I was before the accident,” said Andrew. “Doctors have told me that I am 20 per cent disabled and that the pain in my back will never truly go away. At best, I can manage it. Fortunately, my new employer is understanding and makes sure I don’t do anything to aggravate my condition.

“I can’t count the number of times I complained about the machine, and I wasn’t alone. We were right but it made no difference and I have suffered because of it. All I can hope is that my case will show SIA Fibral, and other employers, why health and safety is vitally important.”

Karen Reay, North East, Yorkshire and Humberside regional secretary at Unite the Union, said: “Unite Legal Services campaigns tirelessly to ensure our members remain safe in the workplace and that employers abide by health and safety regulations. Failure to do so can lead to life-altering injuries, as Andrew’s needless accident shows.

“It’s concerning that despite Andrew, on multiple occasions, raising issues about the machine, they were never acted upon. Using our legal expertise we were able to build a case against the employer so it could be held to account, but what a waste of a dedicated employee’s health.”