Food manufacturer ordered to pay almost £95,000 after Norfolk worker's hand crushed

Date:

4 November 2009

Release No:

HSE/E/33

Food manufacturing firm Tulip Limited has been ordered to pay £94,523 in fines and costs after one of its employees had three fingers crushed in a packing machine.

Ludmila Jurkevica, 27, from King's Lynn, was attempting to clear a blockage in a Multivac packing machine at the company's site in Beveridge Way, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, when the incident happened on 27 November 2007.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Tulip Limited, which is based in Seton House, Warwick, over its role in the incident. The investigation found the machine did not have the required guarding and the company had not provided sufficient training.

On 17 June 2009, the company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. It admitted failing to prevent access to dangerous parts of the machinery and failing to make a sufficient risk assessment of the Multivac machine.

At Norwich Crown Court today (Wednesday 4 November), the company was fined £65,000 and ordered to pay costs of £29,523.

HSE Inspector Steven Gill said:

"This was a nasty incident which could have been avoided had the company checked how safe the machinery was and taken precautions to protect staff. Machines like these can be incredibly dangerous and cause serious injury. No company should take these risks lightly.

"The defects in the guarding had been identified in the company's own safety audit reports but nothing was done about them. Companies should have systems in place for not only identifying defects, but ensuring that any defects are remedied.

"There should also be systems in place to ensure that workers, including workers whose first language is not English, have appropriate instruction and training on the use of machinery."

Notes to editors

1. Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees."
2. Advice and guidance for employers can be found on the HSE website: www.hse.gov.uk

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