The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a food company based in Southall, west London after an employee’s fingertip was severed in a workplace accident.

In February 2007, the unnamed employee was asked to repair a dough divider machine at the Noon Products Ltd. The employee had removed a guard and was cleaning the middle part of the machine with a screwdriver and an air gun.

As he put his right hand into an enclosed space, the tip of his right index finger was severed by machinery. The HSE investigation found the machine in a poor state of repair, with crucial safety devices broken or missing – the display screen that provided safety information to the operator was found to be unreadable and critical safety switches had also been disconnected. 

The company had already been served with an Improvement Notice for a separate incident, which should have alerted them to proper maintenance systems throughout the general workplace, said the HSE.

On Thursday (10/12/09) at the City of London Magistrates’ Court, Noon Products Ltd of Thorpe Lea Road, Egham in Surrey pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,491.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Neil Fry said that the employee had suffered ‘such serious injuries’ because Noon Products had failed to protect its workers from harm. He added that the company already had a poor health and safety record when the accident happened.

‘This case stresses the need for employers to have safe systems of work in place, so that guards and crucial safety devices are working properly to ensure that maintenance on dangerous machinery can be carried out safely,’ said Mr Fry.

‘Following the incident, Noon Products Ltd successfully undertook a collaborative project with HSE aimed at introducing a good health and safety management system and addressing cultural attitudes to health and safety within the organisation.

‘These new management systems have had a positive effect throughout the workplace,’ Mr Fry added.

© 5r1 Limited 2009