United Biscuits employee’s fingers severed by industrial machine
Well known biscuit manufacturer United Biscuits, makers of McVitie’s biscuits, has received a £10,000 fine from the Health and Safety Executive after an employee lost her fingers in a mixing machine at its Halifax factory.
In a hearing at Halifax Magistrates, the court was told how the unnamed woman lost two fingers on her right hand when she attempted to clear a blockage in a mixing machine that was being used to combine ingredients for flapjacks. In order to remove the blockage from the machine, it was necessary to climb up a two metre step ladder, empty the flapjack mixture from inside and then restart the machine. Unfortunately, at the time of accident, although the mixing machine had been turned off to allow someone to work on it, the blades inside were still rotating at the time the woman reached her hand inside, which meant that her fingers were severed.
United Biscuits pleaded guilty to breaching part of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and in addition to the £10,000 fine they also had to pay almost £3,000 towards the costs of the prosecution. Afterwards, an inspector from the HSE said:
“An incident like this should not happen in any company, but taking place in such a large scale food manufacturer such as this is absolutely unacceptable. Preventing access to moving parts and fitting guards is an elementary and essential precautionary measure and inexpensive. By not putting these measures in place United Biscuits failed to fulfil its duty of care to its employees.”
Workplace injury claims with Camps Solicitors
This tragic accident shows just how dangerous working in a factory or industrial environment can be, especially if appropriate safety measures have not been put in place by your employer. What’s more, poor health and safety procedures are not confined solely to some smaller companies, even some large nationally recognised manufacturers, such as United Biscuits have been found guilty in recent years of breaking the law when it comes to keeping their employees safe at work.
Perhaps you have been involved in a similar accident at work and you would like independent professional legal advice. If that’s the case, then Camps Solicitors can help you to make an work compensation claim. Our workplace injury claims solicitors can take the strain out of making your claim, ensuring that you are not placed under any more pressure during your claim, so that you can concentrate on recovering from your injuries and getting on with your life.
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