Animal Feed Manufacturer Fined After Valve Claims Finger

A producer of animal feed in the UK was fined after a worker’s finger became trapped in an uncovered slide valve, causing a severe injury that required an amputation, the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Britain’s workplace health and safety regulator, announced Feb. 28.

The 64-year-old mill cleaner was working in a narrow gantry in W L Duffield and Sons Ltd’s Saxlingham Thorpe Mill facility in April 2016 when a slide valve opened suddenly, and the man’s finger became trapped when the steel shutter slid along the frame, the HSE said.

The HSE’s investigation determined that metal covers intended to safeguard workers from dangerous parts were not present on two of three slide valves at the base of a mixer.

“This man unnecessarily suffered a life changing injury to his hand due to W L Duffield and Sons’ failure to protect him from dangerous machinery,” said HSE Inspector Anthony Brooks in a press release. “This case should act as a reminder to all employers who possess machinery to ensure they have the correct safety measures in place.”

The company pleaded guilty in court to charges of beaching Regulation 1 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998, and faces £50,000 in fines and £1008 in costs.