Accident lawyers have victory after Lancashire firm prosecuted

An animal feed production company has been prosecuted after an employee sustained a work injury that left him with only two fingers.

A 47-year-old worker at the Dugdale Nutrition Ltd factory in Clitheroe, who has asked not to be named, lost two fingers after trying to remove a blockage from a conveyor.

Following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), it was found that the accident was caused because the guard over the machine was not fixed in place.

Matthew Tinsley, investigative inspector at HSE, stated: "The company broke two health and safety laws by not providing a suitable guard and installing the insulator switch in an out of reach position."

Dugdale Nutrition Ltd pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and was fined £7,000 and ordered to pay £3,614 in prosecution costs.

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 applies to a person who has control to any extent of work equipment, a person at work who uses or supervises or manages the use of work equipment, or the way in which equipment is used at work and the extent of his control.

Published by Kevin Round