A FACTORY worker whose hand was dragged into a machine and crushed has received £300,000 in compensation.

Wayne Miller, from Kendal, was left permanently disabled after the accident at Burneside paper manufacturers James Cropper.

The 48-year-old was attempting to fix a machine when his sleeve became caught in workings and his hand and arm were pulled between rollers.

“It seemed to happen slowly and I watched my arm being pulled in up to my elbow,” he said.

“I remember them cutting wires to release my arm but I was so shocked I don’t remember feeling pain.

“My hand swelled up like a boxing glove and turned green, burned and bloody while I waited for the air ambulance.”

The incident, which took place in June 2008, caused friction burns which ripped nerves from Mr Miller’s wrist and left him requiring reconstructive surgery and skin grafts.

James Cropper admitted liability for Mr Miller’s injuries and said they regretted any harm caused to employees during the course of their job.

They added that they had installed safety guards to other machines to increase the safety of their factory.

The company said Mr Miller’s accident happened because he chose to work alone in contradiction of the firm’s safe system of work policy and that he also chose to remove guarding on his machine.

The size of the out of court settlement was £375,000 but the amount payable to Mr Miller was reduced to £300,000 because he accepted he had significantly contributed to the cause of the accident.

The Health and Safety Executive served an improvement notice on Croppers’ Technical Fibre Products business, which was acted on. The executive is yet to give its final assessment on the accident.

Mr Miller has been left with crushed nerves and no grip in his left arm, preventing him from doing another manual job.

He now works for the Kendal branch of Electricity North West.

“I wish this whole thing had never happened. It was the best job I’d ever had and I kept it for 13 years,” he said.