The incident involved a long-serving machine operator, who had worked for the company for 11 years. She was performing a routine cleaning task on the rollers of a machine used to emboss logos onto tissue paper before it is folded into napkins. During this operation, her right hand was tragically drawn into the machinery and remained trapped for several minutes, resulting in devastating and permanent injuries.
Company failed to guard machinery, causing life-changing injuries
The worker sustained full amputations to her little and ring fingers, alongside partial amputations to her index and middle fingers. Beyond the immediate physical trauma, she now experiences increased sensitivity in her injured hand. The profound impact of these injuries extends to her daily life, rendering her unable to manage routine tasks such as cooking. Furthermore, her ability to engage in cherished hobbies like cycling, knitting, and gardening has been severely curtailed, as the injury affects her dominant hand.
An investigation conducted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) uncovered critical safety failings. It was determined that the machine involved in the incident lacked an interlocked guard, a fundamental safety feature designed to prevent access to dangerous moving parts. This meant that employees could access the print rollers while the machine was in operation, posing an unacceptable risk. The HSE highlighted that effective measures, typically fixed or interlocked guards, are essential to prevent contact with hazardous machinery parts, and these were the expected controls in this instance.
Compounding the severity of this oversight, the investigation revealed a pattern of previous enforcement actions against Duni Poppies Limited. The company had been served with enforcement notices for other machinery guarding issues during site inspections in 2021, 2019, 2014, and 2010. This history underscored a persistent failure to address known safety deficiencies related to machinery guarding, despite repeated regulatory intervention.
Duni Poppies Limited, of Cornwall Street, St Helens, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). This regulation places a duty on employers to ensure that work equipment is constructed or adapted so that any dangerous part of machinery is prevented from causing injury. The court heard how the company’s failure to implement adequate safety measures directly led to the worker’s life-altering injuries.
HSE inspector Gemma Feerick commented on the case, stating that the incident was entirely “avoidable.” She emphasised that if the company had properly assessed the risks associated with its machinery and applied the correct control measures to prevent access to dangerous parts, the incident would not have occurred. Inspector Feerick further affirmed the HSE’s commitment to taking robust action against companies that fall below expected safety standards and fail in their duty to protect their employees.
This prosecution serves as a reminder to all manufacturers of the critical importance of robust machinery guarding and adherence to health and safety regulations. Employers have a legal and moral obligation to ensure that all dangerous parts of machinery are adequately guarded to prevent access during operation, thereby safeguarding their workforce from preventable and life-changing injuries.
This story was originally published by HSE Media Centre
