Health and Safety Training Required After Teenage Trainee Injures Arm
A food processing firm based in Brighton has been prosecuted after a teenage trainee severely injured his arm whilst using a meat mincer machine. The 16-year-old was working alone at Malpass Direct Ltd in 2009 when his left arm became trapped. The victim had attempted to fix the machine after it had jammed.
A Health and Safety Executive investigation found that the firm had not provided appropriate supervision to the trainee due to staff shortages. The investigation also uncovered the fact that the safety interlock on the mincer had been disabled, as this allowed workers to pour ingredients into the machine at a faster rate.
“This incident was completely avoidable and has left a young man with permanent injuries. The level of supervision Malpass Direct Ltd offered in this instance was unacceptable and the company could have taken simple measures to prevent unsupervised use of the mincing machine by this trainee,” HSE Inspector Graham Goodenough revealed.
Malpass Direct Ltd, which is based on Hollingdean Road, Brighton, was subsequently fined £5,000 and told to pay prosecution costs amounting to £4,005 after it pleaded guilty to breaching the 1988 Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations and the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act.
“Malpass Direct Ltd could also have easily modified the mincer so it could be used to make the sausage mix without overriding the interlock. The HSE will take robust enforcement action against any company found defeating safety interlocks.”
