Animal feed manufacturer fined £500,000 after employee suffered severe injuries

A Yorkshire animal feed manufacturer has been fined £500,000 after an employee suffered severe injuries when his foot became entangled in dangerous machinery. The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The incident occurred when the supervisor accessed a pressing machine while its internal parts were still operating. His foot slipped through inadequate guarding, resulting in injuries that required six weeks of hospital treatment.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company had failed to prevent access to dangerous parts of the machinery and had not carried out a suitable risk assessment.