HSE Investigates Safety Failings At London Food Company

A food company employee lost the ends of two of his fingers after trapping them in a badly guarded machine.

Dina Foods of Park Royal, London, was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £1,477 in costs after admitting to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company failed to ensure its staff were sufficiently protected when using factory equipment.

The injured 45-year-old, who does not want to be named, was attempting to clean a rotating drum when the accident happened on May 4th last year.

As he did so, he stepped on a pedal which started the machine while his hand was inside.

An enforcement notice was issued by the HSE and the firm was told to make regular checks on the safety of its machinery across its factories.

Following the hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court, HSE inspector Saif Deen said: "This worker has been severely affected by the injury and now has a long-term impairment. It may have serious consequences on his future work prospects, especially where dexterity is a requirement."

The injured man spent four days in hospital and has not been able to return to work since the accident happened.

Mr Deen added that incidents of this nature are not uncommon in the manufacturing industry and he warned companies that fail to comply with the UK's laws will be prosecuted.

A Lancashire-based baker has also been fined for safety failings that led to a very similar accident this week.

Tayyabah Bakery of Blackburn was given a £1,000 penalty and ordered to pay costs of £5,002 after pleading guilty to a breach of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

Expert Opinion

Sadly we see many work accident cases such as this where workers are put at risk because of a lack of guarding on potentially very dangerous machines. <br/> <br/>“Unfortunately in this case it led to the worker losing the tips of two of his fingers when if the right precautions were taken the accident would not have happened. <br/> <br/>“Time and time again we see workers injured in industrial accidents that could easily be avoided had the necessary safety precautions been taken. I urge all employers to ensure they check their machines and take appropriate steps to make them safe. Worker safety must be a priority” <br/>