Leading processor fined after decade-long safety breach leads to serious worker injury
Bakkavor Foods Ltd was fined £10,000 and instructed to pay £2,026 legal costs following the accident at its Wigan site in England when a hygiene worker’s arm was broken in three places after becoming trapped in a machine.
The 22-year-old female employee needed a metal plate in her left arm after it became caught in a potato blanching machine at the plant on Dobson Park Way in Ince, which packages fresh vegetables and salads.
Her elbow was also dislocated after it was caught between a conveyor belt and rollers on 28 June 2010. She was off work for eight months.
Guilty plea
The company pleaded guilty to flouting health and safety rules after an investigation by government officials revealed that it had allowed the equipment to operate without a mandatory guard for more than 10 years.
The probe by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the rollers were regularly cleaned while they were still spinning.
The body confirmed that Bakkavor had installed a mesh guard over the rollers allowing them to be cleaned without the risk of workers' arms being dragged in.
Almost inevitable
Speaking after the hearing, HSE investigator Helen Mansfield was critical of the firm.
"A young worker has suffered a life-long injury that could easily have been prevented if Bakkavor had put more thought into the safety of its employees,” she said.
The inspector added: "Sadly the machine had been operated without a guard for more than ten years, making it almost inevitable that someone would be injured if they came into contact with the dangerous moving parts."
Bakkavor reaction
In a statement to FoodProductionDaily.com, the company said it takes health and safety seriously and that its accident record was “well below” the national average.
“We strive at all times to ensure that every employee at Bakkavor works in a safe environment and we offer our sincere apologies to this ladyfor the injury which she sustained to her arm,” said the spokesman.
An internal investigation launched in the aftermath of the accident had resulted in improvements to prevent a similar incident occurring again, said the firm.
“Bakkavor Foods will continue to drive up standards and improve its performance in this area,” added the spokesman.
