Young’s Seafood pay out over £800k after worker loses thumb and fingers

Grimsby firm Young’s Seafood was fined £787,500 and ordered to pay £33,443.68 in costs after a worker was trapped by a mixing machine and suffered the loss of a thumb and fingers.

Grimsby Crown Court heard how the 59-year-old worker was creating the mix for fish cakes at the company’s Humberstone Road factory in Grimsby on October 16, 2017.

At the end of a mix run he went to clear the mix from the machine, lifting an interlocked guard that should have stopped the machine from running. The worker put his hand into the machine without realising it was still running and the augur caught his hand and drew his arm in up to the elbow.

He managed to free himself from the augur but, in removing his arm, his thumb and two of his fingers were severed and he suffered serious tendon damage.

Doctors were unable to reattach his fingers and he has not yet been able to return to work over three years after the incident. The company has accepted the fine imposed by the court.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched an investigation, which found that the machine continued to run when the safety guard was lifted. It had also failed to respond when the emergency stop was pressed.

The interlocking system was inadequate and the company had failed to ensure that the machine was effectively maintained. HSE said these matters were exacerbated by poor communication between the shop floor and maintenance and an inadequate fault reporting system.

Young’s Seafood Ltd of Ross House, Wickham Road, Grimsby pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

A Young’s spokesperson said: “Young’s Seafood accepts the fine imposed by the court following the Health and Safety Executive’s investigation, which we cooperated with fully. Mr Spence has been a valued member of the Young’s family for 25 years and continues to work with us today.

“We thank the court for its favourable comments about our positive health and safety record, our lack of previous convictions and our proactivity as a responsible employer to put effective health and safety measures in place to avoid incidents like this happening again in the future.”

After the hearing, HSE inspector Carol Downes said: “The life changing injuries sustained by the employee could have been prevented and the risk should have been identified.

“Being pro-active with preventative maintenance and good communication of faults can reduce the chance of harm.”