A Middlesbrough food company has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), after a worker’s hand became trapped in rolling machinery he was cleaning.

In October 2008, the 22-year-old man was working as a mixing operative at The Baked Snacks Co Limited at Imperial Way, South Bank in Middlesbrough. The company makes baked snacks and the employee’s duties included cleaning his own working area and the production line areas, as well as the cooling conveyors.

The worker was cleaning the cooling conveyor while the machinery was running, when his right hand became trapped between two rollers and he sustained serious injuries. The HSE investigation found that there was no guard on the machinery at the point where it was being cleaned.

On Tuesday (02/02/10), The Baked Snacks Co Limited pleaded guilty to two breaches of The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The company was fined £2,400 with costs of £2,000 and a £15 victim surcharge.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Bruno Porter said the incident was a straightforward case of the company ‘failing to address the risks arising from normal operation of this food factory’.

‘It appears that at the time of the incident, cleaning work was often done while the conveyor belts were still running, including areas that were not adequately guarded.

‘Simple, standard guarding of a dangerous piece of machinery should have been in place to prevent this nasty accident,’ Mr Porter added.

‘In addition, there must be adequate information and instruction for safe operation of the plant, which there was not in this case. 

‘Where workers do not have English as their first language – such as in this case – employers must make doubly sure all personnel really do understand how to work safely and what is expected of them,’ said Mr Porter.  

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