The worker, at Tayto Group Ltd, was clearing a blockage of material from a machine on the production line in July 2015 when his hand came into contact with a set of shears. Three fingers on his right hand were severed below the first knuckle.
A Health & Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into the incident found that the guard on the machine was not secured correctly. Tayto Group had also not implemented a formal monitoring system for the machine to ensure that all guards were in place and secure before the machine was started.
“This man suffered a life-changing injury in what was an entirely preventable incident,” said HSE inspector Michelle Morrison. “Employers must have adequate and robust systems to ensure that guards used to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery are in place and secure before the machinery is put into use.”
At Northampton Crown Court, Tayto Group Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 5 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) and was fined £330,000 and ordered to pay court costs of over £11,700.
