The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted an international food company after an employee lost their footing and fell into a food mixing machine.

In April 2009, the employee was working a nightshift at the Bakkavör Fresh Cook Ltd site in Sluice Road, Holbeach St Marks, Lincolnshire. Bakkavör employs 2,500 people in the UK – the company supplies major supermarkets and has its headquarters Reykjavik, Iceland.

The female worker was cleaning a machine that consisted of three tanks which tipped food into each other. In order to clean the machine properly, hygiene operatives were required to stand on the frame of the machine to reach the various parts.

As the worker reached up, she lost her footing and fell into one of the 1.5-metre deep tanks, and lost consciousness. She was rescued by colleagues who heard her shout as she fell.

The injured woman was off work for five weeks and reported suffering severe headaches and pains in her neck and back, for which she had to take painkillers.

On Tuesday (14/04/10) at Spalding Magistrates’ Court, Bakkavör Fresh Cook Ltd of West Marsh Road, Spalding in Lincolnshire pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £3,500 and ordered to pay £2,091 costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Jo Anderson said that no one at Bakkavör realised that climbing was involved cleaning the machine – and added that a risk assessment should have been carried out, as well as an examination of how work at height was being undertaken.

‘The company has now introduced a system of cleaning using long-handled brushes, which goes to show how simple it can be to prevent this incident in the first place,’ said Ms Anderson.

‘This case highlights the need for employers to be aware of what goes on during the night shift,’ she added.

‘All staff have a right to the same standard of care, irrespective of their working hours.’

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