A WOMAN ended up with a metal bracket embedded in her head after being dragged into machinery which had not been properly maintained by her employer.

Margaret Griffiths needed surgery to remove the bracket after the accident last December, at Carpets of Kidderminster, the town's magistrates were told yesterday.

Mrs Griffiths, a reeler, was working on a second-hand reeling machine at the company's factory in Green Street, said Kay Brookes, prosecuting on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive.

Part of the machine had been broken for a number of years, which meant staff had to go round to the back of the machine to check that a timer was working properly.

When Mrs Griffiths was passing the dangerous moving parts, her cardigan beacme caught and she was dragged into the machine.

She was repeatedly hit over the head by parts of the machine, and the bracket, which was around two inches long, became embedded in her skull.

Mrs Griffiths, of Kidderminster, is still having treatment for her injuries, and doctors are assessing whether there is any lasting damage.

Carpets of Kidderminster admitted failing to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of risks to the health and safety of employees.

It also admitted failing to maintain the emergency trip wire on the reeling machine, and failing to take effective measures to protect members of staff from dangerous parts in machines.

The court was told how the company had been warned about the standards of health and safety and had previously been convicted for flouting regulations in 1997, after another employee had become entangled in a machine.

Mrs Griffiths, aged 57, was one of only a few staff left at the factory because it was closing down. Soon after the accident, it shut.

The faulty machine was sold on as scrap, and could not be relocated by the Health and Safety Executive.

Alex Stein, defending, said the company, now based in Stourport-on-Severn, employed around 160 people and was currently running at a loss of £800,000.

"I cannot say they have a good record of safety," he said.

Magistrates decided to send the case to crown court for sentencing, because their powers only extend to a £15,000 fine and they felt this was insufficient.

The case is due to be heard on Friday, January 11, at Worcester Crown Court.