A food manufacturing company in Northern Ireland has been fined in court following a serious injury to an employee.

The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) successfully led a prosecution against UMI Foods Ltd for breaches of health and safety legislation.

The case followed an investigation into an incident in which an employee suffered serious injuries to their right hand resulting in the partial amputation of three fingers.

At Newry Magistrates' Court yesterday (Monday, November 2) the company pleaded guilty to two health and safety offences:

Failing to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of its employees, including preventing access to dangerous parts of machinery.
Failing to ensure that all persons who use work equipment had received adequate training for the purposes of health and safety.

The company was fined a total of £10,000.

Court

The court heard that the incident occurred on February 21, 2023 at the company's premises in Edenaveys Industrial Estate, Armagh.

An employee's right hand came into contact with the rotating blades of a mushroom dicing machine.

She suffered serious injuries, including the partial amputation of her index, middle, and ring fingers.

HSENI's investigation found that the employee had gained access to the rotating blades while the machine was in operation.

Inspectors who examined the machine the following day discovered that a bolt securing the front chute guard was missing.

The employee had started working with the company less than one month before the incident and had not received a formal health and safety induction.

HSENI served a prohibition notice preventing further use of the machine until measures were implemented to prevent access to its blades.

An improvement notice was also served in relation to employee training.

HSENI said the company subsequently took steps to comply with both notices.

HSENI

Speaking after the hearing, HSENI Inspector Gavin Myers said: "An employee suffered life-changing injuries to her hand while carrying out her work.

"Employers must also ensure that new employees receive adequate training before they are exposed to workplace risks.

"They should never assume that a worker will recognise a hazard or know how to avoid it without appropriate instruction and supervision," he added.

Myers said that further information on machinery safety is available on the HSENI website.