An international building materials company has been fined £200,000 after admitting a breach of health and safety regulations over an injury to a quarry worker who fell into an electric fan.

Stuart Richardson suffered severe injuries to his face and arm after becoming caught in the electric cooling fan of a motor that had been left uncovered at the site at Dunbar Works in East Lothian in January last year.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday Lafarge Cement UK plc admitted two offences under the health and safety at work laws which left Mr Richardson severely injured and permanently scarred.

The court was told that on January 29 Mr Richardson, a welder who had worked at the quarry for nine years, was asked to help a colleague with one of four motors on a stacker machine, which crushes limestone to make cement.

The electric fan on the motor had been left uncovered and Mr Richardson became entangled in it when it was switched on.

Fiscal depute Angie Main said it was not known whether Mr Richardson had slipped on mud and fallen into the fan or if he had become caught up while trying to prevent a cable being caught in the blades as he had no recollection of the incident.

He was rushed to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and later transferred to St John's Hospital in Livingston for specialist treatment. He underwent emergency surgery to repair skeletal damage to his face and needed bone plates and screws to his mouth. His left ear was later amputated.

He has been left with scars to his arms and ribcage and is still unable to eat and drink properly, said Ms Main.

A health and safety inspector who examined the site the day after the accident said employees had not been made aware of the hazards involved in the job.

The following day the company, which employs 150 people at the Dunbar plant and 1500 in the UK, began training all of its staff and has since tightened its safety procedures, the court was told.

Lafarge pled guilty to failing to provide employees with adequate training, instruction and supervision.

The court was told Mr Richardson has since gone back to work for the company in a more senior role as a reliability inspector.