Fine of £300K Imposed on Flour Company Following Workplace Injury to Employee
In a recent court hearing at Northampton Magistrates Court, ADM Milling Limited, a Northamptonshire-based flour company, was fined £300,000 for an incident that occurred on 28 June 2023 at their site on Earlstrees Industrial Estate in Corby. The incident involved a maintenance worker, David Wood, who severed one of his fingers in machinery during maintenance work on a packer closing station.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the incident and found that ADM Milling Limited had failed to safely manage the risks of people performing maintenance at its factory. HSE inspector Abbey Hodson stated that the incident was wholly avoidable and emphasized the importance of carefully assessing and reviewing all maintenance tasks to ensure the safety of anyone under control.
According to the HSE, maintenance work needs to be correctly planned and carried out to prevent fatalities and serious injuries, either during the work or as a result of using badly/wrongly maintained machines. The HSE guidelines for safely managing maintenance tasks in industrial settings focus on minimizing accidents and injuries by emphasizing structured risk control, strict adherence to procedures, and ensuring worker competency.
Key HSE principles include thorough risk assessments and detailed planning before maintenance, lockout/tagout procedures to securely isolate all energy sources before work begins, the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), proper training and certification of maintenance personnel, adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and regulations, emergency preparedness, effective communication, and supervision.
The HSE also provides further guidance on maintenance of work equipment on its website: Maintenance of work equipment - HSE. It is crucial for companies to follow these guidelines to ensure the safety of their employees and prevent similar incidents from occurring.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of prioritizing safety in industrial maintenance work. The company was also ordered to pay £7,517 in costs.
In other related news, GEA Farm, a chemicals company, was fined after releasing a cloud of toxic chlorine gas that spread through its factory, yard, and surrounding area, resulting in staff needing hospital treatment and significant damage to the factory. The company, A&P Falmouth, was fined after a crane collapsed at its site on Falmouth Docks, putting more than 250 people at risk.
Sundorne Products (Llanidloes) Limited was also fined for failing to protect workers and members of the public at a household waste and recycling center in Wales. The HSE continues to emphasize the importance of safety in all industries and encourages companies to prioritize the well-being of their employees and the public.
- The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) highlights the significance of implementing health-and-wellness practices in the workplace-wellness sector, as failure to do so can lead to avoidable incidents like the one involving ADM Milling Limited, which was fined for not safely managing risks during maintenance work.
- In the realm of science and events, it becomes evident that proper adherence to HSE guidelines, such as thorough risk assessments, lockout/tagout procedures, and employee training, can prevent fatalities and serious injuries in various industries, as shown by GEA Farm's toxic gas release and A&P Falmouth's crane collapse incidents.
