A company that manufactures speciality breads has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), after a worker broke his wrist in a bagel-making machine.

In April 2009, the worker was employed by Country Style Foods – based in Leeds – at their site in Pontefract Lane in the city. He was removing finished bagels from the machine when he spotted a build-up of dough on one of the rollers.

The employee used a scraper to remove the dough, but insufficient guarding on the machine led to his hand and wrist being dragged into the machine and becoming trapped between the roller and a moving belt.

As well as sustaining a broken wrist in the incident, the employee’s injuries also included severe friction burns caused by the moving belt. He was off work for several weeks as a result of the accident.

The HSE investigation found that, although the injured man was experienced and familiar with the type of machine he was working on, the machine was new to the plant and no formal training or written instructions had been completed regarding its safe use.

The investigation also revealed that the issue of insufficient guarding had already been raised by a hygiene supervisor, but no action had been taken before the machine was used.

On Tuesday (13/04/10) at Leeds Magistrates’ Court, Country Style Foods pleaded guilty to breaching of Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The company was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £4,570 costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Angus Robbins said:

‘The hazards associated with moving rollers and belts are well understood within food manufacturing – and there are established standards and protocols that should be followed in relation to guarding and clearing blockages.

‘The onus is on employers like Country Style Foods to manage and control risks at all times, and set an example for others to follow,’ said Mr Robbins.

‘There were clear failings on this occasion, and we hope today’s prosecution serves as a reminder that we will call to account employers who fail in their duties to protect their employees.’

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