A Lincolnshire pet food firm has today been fined £1,250 and ordered to pay costs of £1,545 after one of its machines damaged a worker's hand.
Fold Hill Foods Ltd, of Old Leake, near Boston, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11 (3) (c) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 for not making sure the machinery's protection devices were working.
The prosecution was brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Boston Magistrates' Court heard that on 7 January 2009, employee Paul Knowles, 50, of Skegness, was working on a bagging machine when the film that formed the bags was not running through the machine correctly and needed adjusting.
Mr Knowles opened the door on the front of the machine, at which point a safety cut-out switch should have stopped the machine. Unfortunately, the safety device was not working but Mr Knowles did not realise that as, coincidentally, the machine had come to a pre-programmed halt in its cycle.
Mr Knowles put his fingers on to a belt to test its tension when the machine re-started, pulling his fingers into the mechanism. He suffered a deep laceration to his middle finger and was off work for some time.
HSE inspector Scott Wynne said:
"Protection device are there for a very good reason - to stop accidents such as this occurring.
"Mr Knowles was very lucky not to have suffered more serious injuries. I hope this case serves a reminder to other companies of the need to ensure that such devices are in good working order and are efficiently maintained."
Regional reporters should call the appropriate Regional News Network press office.
Issued on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive by COI News & PR East Midlands
Regional reporters should call the appropriate Regional News Network press office who act as HSE's Press Office throughout Great Britain.
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