Reckitt Benckiser Fined After Worker Injured by Machine

The company was fined $269,000 for safety lapses that led to the 2017 incident at its Kingston upon Hull site.

Powder Bulk Solids Staff

December 15, 2020

1 Min Read
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Representative imageImage courtesy of Pixabay

Hygiene and health products manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare (UK) Ltd was issued a fine of €200,000 (about $269,000) in a British court this month for safety violations related to the injury of a worker at one of its facilities in 2017, Great Britain’s workplace safety regulator, The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) announced in a recent release.

The Grimsby Magistrates Court was told that a 25-year-old worker’s left forearm was crushed by a bottle filling machine at Reckitt Benckiser’s facility in Dansom Lane South, Kingston upon Hull. In addition to the crush injury, the man also received tendon damage on his forearm, wrist and hand.

HSE officials determined that the filling machine was not electronically isolated and locked off by the worker, or others at the site, that could have prevented harm while the worker was performing a recalibration task.

“Non-routine maintenance tasks must be carried out by trained personnel working to standard safe operating procedures,” HSE inspector David Stewart said in a statement at the hearing. “Reckitt Benckiser should have developed a standard operating procedure for the adjustment process, which if implemented correctly along with their lock off procedure, could have prevented the incident.”

The company pleaded guilty to violating Section 2 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974. Reckitt Benckiser was also ordered to pay €8,261.28 in costs.

Powder & Bulk Solids reported this August that a four-alarm fire broke out at Reckitt Benckiser’s plant in Hillsborough, NJ. Reports said hundreds of firefighters worked for several hours to extinguish the flames.

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Powder Bulk Solids Staff

Established in 1983, Powder & Bulk Solids (PBS) serves industries that process, handle, and package dry particulate matter, including the food, chemical, and pharmaceutical markets.

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