The then 18-year-old resumed his apprenticeship with another firm following the procedure.

He was employed as an apprentice joiner by 3B Construction when the incident happened during the conversion of a 19th century hunting lodge into a luxury hotel in the Highlands.

The company has been fined £40,000 at Tain Sheriff Court following an HSE investigation and a prosecution brought by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).

On 8 June 2021, the apprentice, who had been with the company for six months, was using a portable table saw to cut plasterboard during the project at Hope Lodge in Tongue.

He used his left hand to flick away material on the saw blade. His hand made contact with the rotating blade, cutting off his thumb. He raised the alarm with colleagues who took him to Raigmore Hospital, Inverness. His thumb was found a short time later and taken to the hospital.

After initial treatment the teenager was transferred to St John’s Hospital In Livingston where he underwent surgery to successfully reattach his thumb.

He believes his thumb is working to around 70% of what it used to be, and it has healed as much as it can. It is shorter than his other thumb, he can’t bend it fully and it is permanently swollen. In winter he suffers significant discomfort when the thumb becomes stiff and sore.

3B Construction Limited of Minishant Ayr pleaded guilty to safety breaches and was fined £40,000 at Tain Sheriff Court.

Norman Schouten of the HSE said: “While this young man continues to live with the trauma and impact of this incident, it’s greatly encouraging to see him continuing to work as a joiner.

“However, it is only the efforts of medical professionals that prevented this from becoming a permanent amputation following the failures of the company.”