Bakery Fined after Worker Loses Hand to Production Line

Great Britain’s occupational safety regulator The Health & Safety Executive announced that baked products maker Mr. Bagel’s Limited was fined £4,500 after a worker lost their hand in a bagel production line at the firm’s plant in Welwyn Garden City, UK.

The Luton Magistrates’ Court was told that the company lacked adequate safety measures to prevent access to hazardous parts of the machinery, leading to the amputation on Oct. 2, 2017. The worker was clearing dough that became jammed in the machine when the equipment restarted and dragged their arm into a “danger zone,” according to HSE. His hand was cut off at the wrist.

“This injury was easily prevented. Machine blockages are routine events; the risk to a person from clearing them should have been identified,” HSE Inspector Nigel Fitzhugh said in the agency’s release. “Employers should make sure they properly assess and apply effective control measures to minimize the risk from dangerous parts of machinery.

International baked goods company Grupo Bimbo acquired Mr. Bagels in mid-2019, expanding its presence in the European market.