Sweet manufacturer sentenced over severed finger
A leading sweet manufacturer has been sentenced after part of a worker’s finger was cut off at a Blackpool factory.
The employee at the sweet manufacturer was trying to remove a blockage in one of the sweet-making machines when his left hand was pulled in, severing his index finger to the top knuckle.
The company, which produces liquorice allsorts and sherbet fountains among other sweets, was prosecuted following an investigation into the incident. It found the worker had been able to reach the rotating parts in the machine while the power was still on.
The 25-year-old from Blackpool was operating the machine when it became blocked. He removed the guard to clear the blockage when the rotating wheels that flatten the sweet mixture caught his hand.
Doctors were unable to reattach the end of his finger due to the crushed nerves, and he needed five months off work to recover.
The Confectionery, which has seven factories around the country, pleaded guilty after it failed to make sure the machine stopped operating when the guard was not in place.
The company, was fined £3,400 and ordered to pay £4,568 in prosecution costs following the incident.
Speaking after the hearing, the investigating inspector at HSE said:
“This incident has resulted in a worker suffering a permanent injury but it should simply never have
A total of 25 workers were killed and more than 4,000 suffered major injuries in the manufacturing industry in Great Britain last year.
Updated on 10/4/2011