Company fined after unguarded machine causes work injury

02/04/2009

Factory owners are being reminded to conduct risk assessments to protect their employees from work injuries and guard against compensation claims, after a man was badly injured in Telford.

The 22-year-old was employed by Swancote Foods for the routine cleaning of the company's potato processing machine when he received lacerations, bruising and tendon damage to his left arm.

A court heard that a risk assessment had not recommended the addition of safety guards to the machine, and the employee who suffered the work injury had not received adequate training.

Swancote Foods was subsequently fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,000, although a senior manager at the company escaped charge.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector David Kivlin said: "The worker's injuries were sufficiently serious to cause some long-term discomfort and adversely affect his work capabilities."

An employee at a Manchester plastics factory recently lost the fingers and thumb on one hand after carrying out work on unguarded machinery.

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