A pork products production company has been fined for an accident at work in which an employee seriously injures two fingers in a mixing machine.
In December 2009, the accident at work happened at Tulip Ltd. A sixty year old employee was working on the production line looking after one of the mixing machines, when he noticed a piece of blue plastic inside the mix, as he was adding some seasoning.
The employee proceeded to reach into the mixing bowl to pull out the piece of plastic, however in doing so lost his index and middle finger and severed his ring finger.
The Tulip employee was off work for ten months and had to endure several operations. When he returned to work he was unable to do the same job as he had loss of nerve endings his damaged fingers.
In an investigation carried out by the Health and Safety Executive, into the accident at Tulip Ltd revealed that the mixing machine was unguarded and should an electronic gate had been in place on the access step, they would have prevented the mixer from running as the seasoning was added.
Tulip pleading guilty to the charges of breaching the health and safety regulations and were fined £16,000 and ordered to pay £4,076 for costs.