03 July 2009
Jocelyn Dorrell

A food manufacturer that knew it had 866 faults with the electrics and wiring system at its meat processing plant has been fined after an employee lost two fingers while trying to repair a machine.

In June 2008, 23-year-old Steven Glass was trying to fix an Endoline tape packaging machine at Belcher Food Products' plant in Prestwick, Ayrshire. The machine couldn't be properly isolated and it started up, trapping and amputating three of Glass's fingers.

His severed fingers were put in a bag of ice and later his little finger was successfully reattached to his ring finger.

Ayr Sheriff Court heard that a year prior to the accident, Belcher had commissioned an electrical inspection of its premises which identified 866 faults with the electrics and wiring system, 200 of which were rated as "most urgent". But little or no work had been done to rectify the faults at the time of Glass's injury.

Three months before the accident, HSE inspectors had visited the plant and warned Belcher that it needed a procedure for isolating machinery during repairs, but this too was ignored.

HSE inspector Helen Diamond said it was normal practice at the company for employees to repair their own machines.

On 2 July, Belcher Food Products was fined £30,000 after admitting failing to take reasonable steps to ensure employees' safety and failing to provide adequate information, instruction, training and supervision, contrary to Sections 2(1) and 2(2) of the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Since the accident in June 2008, Belcher has been taken over and according to the HSE there have been significant improvements in health and safety.

Glass, who faces further operations, no longer works at the company.

Categories: Training, Enforcement (prosecutions), Enforcement (prosecutions), Prosecutions, Training, Work equipment



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