Firm fined after accident led to partial leg amputation

A company has been fined after an accident in which an employee's leg became entangled in machinery used inside a grain silo.

Pauls Malt Ltd was fined £8,000 after pleading guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 by failing to supervise its employee and ensuring that its safety procedures were followed.

Derek Kinmond was trying to fix machinery when he sustained the injuries, which involved a number of broken bones and the amputation of part of his left leg.

Peter Dodd, principal inspector with the Health and Safety Executive, said that the accident would not have taken place if there had been a competent person on site to supervise the work.

He said: "The duty on the employers does not simply extend to giving instructions but ensuring that the instructions are carried out."

Earlier this month, a farmer was fined £14,000 after an accident in which a worker lost a thumb and several fingers while using firewood processing machinery.

Published by Phil Hammond