Pork Pie Maker Fined £800,000 After Two Employees Lose Fingers

The Health and Safety Executive has published a press release following a company being fined £800,000 after two young workers tragically lost fingers in incidents at two different Nottingham bakeries.

Pork Farms Ltd, which specialises in making pork pies and other savoury goods such as quiches at several sites across England, was given the fine after both workers were injured just weeks apart at the end of 2022.

The first accident took place on the 16^th November when a 22-year-old worker had his hand trapped while trying to clear a blockage on a conveyor at the firm’s Tottle Bakery on Dunsil Drive. Following the accident, he had to have a finger amputated after his hand was trapped between a chain and sprocket on a conveyor at the site. Just weeks later, on Christmas Eve, Mahamad Hassan, who was just 19 at that time, suffered similar injuries at Pork Farms Limited’s Riverside Bakery. Sadly, he also had a finger amputated as a result of coming into contact with a rotating shaft on a conveyor.

Nottingham Magistrates’ Court heard that the company had failed to ensure that the conveyors involved in both accidents were adequately guarded and the investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that dangerous parts of both conveyors were accessible at the time of each accident.

At the Tottle Bakery, an unsuitable interlock was used on a hinged guard over a chain conveyor system and an inadequate inspection and maintenance regime led to this interlock failing. The chain conveyor automatically moved as the worker tried to adjust the position of the chain following a blockage in the area.

At the Riverside Bakery, a section of the driveshaft of a lineshaft style conveyor was unguarded and spacing of the rollers was sufficient for a person’s arm to pass through and reach the driveshaft below. Mr Hassan was injured when his arm went between the rollers and his gloved hand became entangled in the rotating driveshaft. In addition to physical guarding issues, there was no warning system to give notice that the conveyor was about to start working and emergency stop controls were not readily accessible.

Pork Farms Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £600,000 for the incident at the Tottle Bakery and £200,000 for the incident at the Riverside Bakery. The company was also ordered to pay costs of £6,482 at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on 18 March 2024.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Tim Nicholson said “Both of these incidents were completely preventable”, recognising that the company “left two young men with injuries that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives”.

Mr Nicholson stressed the importance that:

Accidents at work

All employers have a legal responsibility to keep their employees safe at work. This of course includes machinery safety, such as provision and maintenance of adequate guards and protection devices, but also ensuring that employees are properly trained, provided with safety equipment, and are working in safe working conditions.

Regular inspections of the workplace are also important in order to identify and address any potential hazards before they occur. It is advised to encourage open communication between employees and management regarding safety concerns. This duty to maintain safety at work is outlined in legislation and regulations which employers must abide by.

The Health and Safety Executive is Britain’s national regulator for health and safety in the workplace. It provides guidance on what employers should do to minimise the risk of injury and in serious cases, it will bring criminal proceedings against an employer for failing to do so.

At Nelsons, our specialist and experienced Personal Injury team deals with many work accident compensation claims involving all sorts of circumstances and injuries. Accidents can range from minor trips and falls, causing injuries like sprains, to serious and life changing injuries including amputations, multiple fractures, and head and spinal injuries. Anyone who is injured in an accident that wasn’t their fault, or those who are bereaved following the death of a loved one who has been fatally injured, have a legal right to claim compensation.