Will bread making incident inspire use of facilities management health and safety processes?
May 6th 16:51 Health and Safety
The importance that businesses in the food industry should place on health and safety compliance has been highlighted by an incident in Hendon.
Bread Factory Limited was handed a £3,500 fine and ordered to pay costs of £2,969 by City of London Magistrates Court after a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecution found that a missing safety guard on one of its machines led to an employee losing a finger.
The court heard that Thambirasaiyah Roy had his finger amputated while using a spiral mixing machine to make dough at the firm's Hendon factory.
HSE inspector Anne Gloor said: "This incident could easily have been avoided. The hazards associated with this type of machine are understood within the food manufacturing industry and there is clear guidance on the guarding standards which should be followed.
"There were clear failings on this occasion. Had a simple guard been fitted to this machine then Mr Roy would never have suffered these injuries."
The company was fined after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
