Gordon Blackwood, 43, fractured his wrist and damaged the tendons in his hand after it was caught between a conveyor belt and roller as he worked in a factory making fire retardant boards.

Promat Glasgow Ltd, of Sterling Centre in Bracknell, was fined £4,000 after pleading guilty to one charge of breaching health and safety regulations after the 2012 incident.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found the company had failed to identify the 'well-known' hazard and so did not have any safety measures in place to prevent an accident - labelling the incident as 'avoidable'.

Glasgow Sheriff Court was told the incident occurred when Mr Blackwood and a colleague were operating a cleaning programme at the Glasgow factory when Mr Blackwood attempted to clear some spilled mix while the machine was moving.

His right hand was dragged into a 'nip-point', the gap between the roller and underside of the conveyor belt leaving him with significant injuries to his hand. He had to have a metal plate inserted into his hand and says it is still painful a further three-years on.

Following the case, HSE Inspector Callum MacDonald said: “This was an entirely avoidable incident. The dangers of nip points, or the gaps between a moving belt and a stationary part of a machine, are well-known.

“Promat Glasgow Limited should have carried out a full assessment of the risks to workers for all the tasks involved in the production of the insulation boards. That would have identified the hazards in the press area and the right action, such as introducing guards, could have been added as necessary.

“As a result of the company’s failings, Mr Blackwood suffered injuries to his right arm which still cause him problems.” A fixed guard was fitted following the incident to prevent any future injuries.