Business Fined Over Two Incidents

A chicken processing firm fined over multiple safety failures that led to two employees suffering serious workplace injuries has been urged to improve by its standards by a lawyer.

David Urpeth of Irwin Mitchell made the call after magistrates fined Crown Chicken of Crown Farm, Weybread, Diss over the two separate incidents, which both took place within five months of each other last year.

One saw a man have skin torn from his hand when his gloves became caught in machinery. A HSE investigation highlighted that the machine in question was lacking guarding and an emergency stop button, while the gloves were not adequate as protection.

The second incident occurred when a worker’s finger was severed after his hand was crushed in a forklift truck’s lift mechanism. It was discovered that the injury was sustained while the employee was standing on the forks of the vehicle.

Comment on the cases, workplace injury expert David Urpeth said: “Both of the incidents highlight how vital it is for the right equipment and standards to be provided to workers.

“The correct precautions could have stopped both of these serious injuries from being sustained. We hope that Crown Chicken and other companies in the food processing sector take note and learn lessons from these terrible cases.”