Company fined after worker's hand tangled in conveyor

A chemical manufacturer has been fined £100,000 after a worker's hand became entangled in a conveyor.

The employee had been working for Easy Cleaning Solutions Ltd at its chemical manufacturing site in Thetford when he removed a cardboard box from a running conveyor on 24 April 2024.

The man's hand became caught in the unguarded conveyor, which left him with serious injuries, including a broken finger and bruising to three other digits. He required surgery and was unable to work for six weeks.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company failed to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery, namely the powered conveyor belt within the packing area.

Guidance from the HSE states employers must take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery, including installing fixed guards to "stop dangerous parts moving before a person can reach the danger zone".

The company of Brunel Way in Thetford, Norfolk, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

It was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £6,468 in costs at Norwich Magistrates' Court on 17 July.

Paul Shackleton, HSE inspector, said: "This was a wholly avoidable incident caused by the failure to guard dangerous parts of machinery.

"Had Easy Cleaning Solutions Ltd installed suitable guarding on the conveyor, this injury could have been prevented."

A spokesperson for Easy Cleaning Solutions Ltd said: "Nothing matters more to us than the safety of the people who work at Thetford. We are sorry this happened.

"We accepted responsibility for the failings that led to this accident at the earliest opportunity, worked openly with the HSE throughout, and made further improvements to safety measures to make sure that this cannot happen again. We have run this site for decades, and we will continue to invest to ensure the safety of our workers."

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