Egg packing business fined for exposing workers to danger

Date:

13 January 2011

Release No:

SCO/002/11

A Banff-based egg packing business has been fined for exposing its employees to the risk of serious injury on a regular basis.

Workers employed by the partnership known as James Gammie had to use a specific machine, called a screw conveyor, to clear away chicken manure from each of the company's three sheds at its premises in Leightonhill Farm, Brechin.

In November 2008, an inspector from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspected the sheds and noted that the guarding on each of the screw conveyors did not adequately prevent access to the moving parts of the machinery. As the screw conveyor was used two or three times a week, this placed employees at significant risk of serious injury, had they become entangled in the machinery.

James Gammie of Gawnmoss Farm, Banff, pleaded guilty to one breach of Regulation 11 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. At Forfar Sheriff Court today (13 January) the company was fined £3,000.

HSE Principal Inspector Peter Dodd, said:

"Unguarded machinery continues to be a major cause of serious incidents. This case shows that where HSE inspectors find blatant disregard for the law they will not hesitate to take action against those responsible for creating the risk.

"In many cases, including this one, simple and inexpensive solutions are readily available to protect those who have to work with machinery and there is no excuse for them not to be in place."

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice; promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice; and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement.
2. In Scotland the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has sole responsibility for the raising of criminal proceedings for breaches of health and safety legislation.
3. For more guidance regarding machine guarding and using equipment safely go to: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg229.htm

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