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Firm fined after man loses leg in work accident
A MALT production company has been fined £3,000 following an accident which resulted in a man's leg being amputated.
Pauls Malt Ltd admitted at Scarborough Mag-istrates Court that it failed to ensure effective measures were taken to prevent access to a dangerous part of machinery at one of its factories.
The court heard that Paul Sellers, a process operator at The Maltings in West Knapton near Malton, was left with serious injuries to his left leg resulting in amputation above the knee.
Health and safety inspector Paul Robinson, prosecuting, said Mr Sellers was on a conveyer, which transfers barley, to try to move a slide which was sticking.
He tapped the slide but it didn’t move and while he was getting down to call an engineer his foot fell through a stainless steel mesh guard which was covering the top.
His foot was dragged into the machine but he managed to get out and crawl 60 yards to the control room.
He was taken to Scarborough Hosp-ital and then Castle Hill Hospital in Hull, where his leg was amputated.
Mr Sellers, 52, of Simpson Avenue in Hunmanby, said he had been trained by the company in the past for health and safety matters but he had not seen any instructions saying not to stand on the top of the conveyers while running.
Mr Robinson said: “The guarding was not designed for an operator’s body weight. It is not clear whether there was any pre-existing weakness or whether it was his body weight that caused the guarding to give way.
“None of the production staff were aware they should not stand on top of the conveyers.”
Sarah Taylor, mitigating, said: “There is profound regret over the accident involving Mr Sellers and the injuries he sustained. He has been with the business since 1993 and remains a valued member of the workforce.
“The company has done all it can to support Mr Sellers since the accident.
“Local management hadn’t expected before the accident that an operator would stand on the conveyer. If they had of seen it happening they would have intervened.”
Miss Taylor added that various steps had been taken since the accident with new guards installed to the conveyer, warning notices on site and refresher health and safety training.
Magistrates also imposed costs of 2,098 on the malt production firm.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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