An animal feed manufacturer has received a fine of more than half a million pounds as a result of an employee’s lower arm being severed when it became entangled in a conveyor.

The Facts

A blender operative had been attempting to clear a blockage at the company’s premises in November 2021.

The injured employees’ hand was drawn into the conveyor mechanism, severing the 34-year-old’s right arm below the elbow. The employee had only been working at the company for a few months at the time of the incident and as a result of his life-changing injury, he was unable to return to work for more than two years. The injury has required him to adapt all aspects of his daily life.

The conveyor had only been installed a few months prior to the incident occurring; and had been prone to blockages which had to be cleared by pulling out a manual sliding plate, removing the accumulated material and resetting a cut-off switch.

Investigation

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that:

• Operatives routinely cleared blockages themselves if they could be done quickly, even if they had not been adequately trained in isolation procedures. 
• There had been no review of the risk assessment for operating the conveyor, when the new conveyor was installed.
• That there was no system in place for checking that guards and safety features were correctly installed prior to using the conveyor.

HSE Guidance

HSE guidance states that effective measures should be taken to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery.  In addition, machinery should be isolated before interventions are carried out.  

In addition, employees should be adequately trained in isolation procedures. 

Outcome

The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. 

1. It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.The company was fined £566,000and ordered to pay costs of £6,410 at Hull Magistrates’ Court on 5 March 2025.

Comment

An employer must ensure their workplace is safe and that all activities are:

• Any new machinery/equipment should Suitably and sufficiently risk assessed, to identify all safety control measures including adequate guarding to prevent human intervention. 
• Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulation (PUWER) Conformity Assessment has been undertaken to ensure compliance with the regulations.
• Assessments are adequately recorded and carried out be competent personnel. 
• The Responsible Person (RP) should ensure reasonably practicable control measures are also implemented – for example, training staff on the correct use of machinery.  
• Lock-out/Tag-out (Lo/To) procedures are also an important safety control measure and should be in place and robustly enforced at all times when access to machinery (possibly to remove blockages). Lo/To, should isolate any power supply sources, including any stored energy.
• Management must ensure adequate supervision is provided and safe working procedures are enforced at all times.

Are you Confident your Business Activities are Carried out Safely? 

If you are not sure: perhaps you should consider a site inspection to review your current site activities, practices and whether your Health and Safety measures are suitable and sufficient.

Sentient can assist with carrying out a site inspection and provide guidance, where appropriate, on how measures could be improved. Either talk to our team, or learn more about our health & safety services.