A food processor company in Telford has been fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs after a worker was seriously injured while using a conveyor fed potato processor. The member of staff was cleaning the machine when he received cuts, bruises and a tendon injury to his arm and elbow.

The company pleaded guilty to breaching section 2 of the Health and Safety Act (1974) which requires employers to take reasonable steps to protect the health and wellbeing of workers.

David Kivlin, a HSE inspector, said it was vital for everyone involved in the food processing industry to take responsibility for work safety, but in this case opportunities to fix problems were missed. "Adequate safeguards on moving machinery and safe systems of working should always be in place. Employees had themselves spotted fundamental flaws in cleaning procedures and raised their concerns that insufficient safeguards existed for their protection but senior management did not heed those warnings," he said.

Kivlin added that training and knowledge of safe practices were paramount in an industry that employs heavy machinery. "Many incidents could be avoided if companies ensured that they had established a safe way of tackling those jobs and ensuring that competent persons are regularly assessing and minimising the associated risks."