The tips of both fingers were amputated after the employee reached through the guard of a bagging machine and the heat sealing and cutting jaws of the machine closed on them, Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court heard.
Salad packing firm Vitacress admitted breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and must now pay the fine as well as £1,088 in costs.
The incident took place on 21 April 2015. Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Kate Clark concluded: “Cutting a hole in the guards led to access to dangerous parts being possible. The company had not properly considered the risks from making this alteration.”
