A woman had to have her ear amputated after her hair got caught in a pillar drill at work - ripping her skin off "like a tape".
Anna Mielewczyk, 25, thought she was going to die as she lost consciousness during the shocking accident.
Her employer, P&D Engineering Ltd in Coventry, has been fined more than £60,000 after she suffered life-changing injuries, The Daily Star reports.
Anna voiced her anger at the fine, saying she now feels like "a prisoner in my own home" as she is scared to go out.
Her ponytail got wrapped around a rotating drill on September 10, 2019, ripping off part of her scalp and ear.
She has since undergone surgery nine times, with medics unable to save her ear.
Anna said: “My life has been devastated by what happened to me, yet my employer can get away with a fine of £62,000. How is that justice?
"My boss will carry on with his life, but I will have to deal with the results of the accident forever. I used to love life, was always active but now I feel like I am a prisoner in my own home as I am scared to go out looking like I do.”
She added: “I was working by myself and there was a loud crash from one of the machines and turned my head suddenly.
"My hair must have got caught in one of the drills as it started to pull my head quite fiercely. I tried to yank my hair out of the drill by grabbing my ponytail in desperation and panic, but the machine was going so fast there was nothing I could do to resist it.
"I couldn’t reach the handle to turn it off and started to hear the horrific sound of my skin being ripped from my head, like a tape being pulled away from skin. It is a sound I will never forget.
“I was screaming for help but there was too much noise from the machines and at that point I thought I was going to die. I thought about how I was never going to see my partner and family again and lost consciousness.”
A swift investigation by Health and Safety officials found that the rotating parts of the drill were not guarded in accordance with standard industry practise.
The investigation also found that the company's own risk assessment for using the drill identified a guard should be fitted, but had operated without one for a number of years.
Ben Posford, Partner and Head of Catastrophic Injury at London law firm Osbornes Law representing Anna, said: “Anna has suffered the most horrific injuries and is lucky to have survived this terrible incident all because her employer did not have the correct health and safety procedures in place.
"This case should offer a stark warning to all employers to have the correct measures in place to avoid another incident like this ruining anybody else’s lives.
"My client is understandably upset that her former employer was given such a negligible fine and we will be pursuing them through the courts to get her some semblance of justice.”
P&D Engineering Limited, based in Coventry, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and were fined £62,334 and ordered to pay costs of £1,459.90.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Charlotte Cunniffe said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices.
“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standard.”
