The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a rice manufacturing company after an employer died in a fatal workplace accident when his leg became trapped in machinery.

In September 2006, Balwinder Singh Aulkh gained access to a rice silo at the company’s factory in Rochester, Kent – and died from injuries sustained when his leg became trapped in the underfloor screw conveyor, used to transport rice from the silo. 

On 10 September, 2009 at Medway Magistrates’ Court, Veetee Rice Ltd of Medway City Estate in Rochester, Kent pleaded guilty to contravening Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

On Thursday, 5 November at Maidstone Crown Court, the company was fined £140,000 and ordered to pay £20,500 costs.

The HSE investigation revealed that the company had failed to ensure that dangerous areas of machinery could not be accessed by members of staff – or that dangerous moving parts were stopped before employees entered the danger zone.

After the hearing, the HSE’s Principal Inspector in Kent, Mike Walters, said that the accident could have been prevented easily had Veetee Rice Ltd made sure that an appropriate system was in place to prevent workers entering the silo before the underfloor screw conveyor had been isolated and was not moving.

‘If the company had fitted a simple padlock on the access hatch to the rice silo – which could have cost as little as £10 or £15 – then this tragic incident would not have happened,’ Mr Walters said. He added that the HSE would not tolerate employers exposing workers to ‘unacceptable levels of risk in the workplace’.

Mr Walters said the case highlighted the fact that ‘something as simple and cheap’ as a padlock could have prevented someone being killed at work – and the level of the fine and costs should warn employers to take their health and safety responsibilities seriously.

‘Others must learn from this incident to help ensure that another, similar fatal accident does not happen again in the future,’ Mr Walters added.

© 5r1 Limited 2009