Recent Cases Highlight Importance Of Workplace Safety

A workplace injury specialist at Irwin Mitchell has called on employers to ensure that any machinery their staff use is both suitable and safe, after several fines were recently handed down to businesses which failed to protect workers.

Arrow Flexible Packaging was last week fined over an incident in which a factory worker lost two fingers in a machine used to handles in plastic bags, while Dugdale Nutrition was also handed a fine after an employee lost fingers while trying to remove a blockage from a system at its Clitheroe site.

Finally, it was revealed that Bakkavor Foods was order to pay £10,000 over an incident in which a worker’s arm became caught in a potato blanching machine at a factory in Wigan.

Stephen Nye, an expert at Irwin Mitchell who specialises in helping those who have suffered a workplace injury, said: “It is hugely concerning to see firms fined for three incidents which are so similar and, shockingly, completely avoidable.

“Each of these cases highlights how important it is for firms to always ensure a safe system of work is in place, particularly in terms of the use of guarding that can play a vital role in keeping workers protected from harm.

“The importance of such issues cannot be underestimated as, like these incidents demonstrate, the consequences can have a major impact on those involved.

“We hope that news of these fines and the terrible incidents they are related to will go some way to ensuring that companies do not ignore their safety responsibilities when it comes to machinery.”