A food manufacturer has been fined over £573,000 after three workers were seriously injured due to unsafe machinery practices.

Kearsley: A food manufacturer just got hit with a hefty fine after three employees were seriously injured because of unsafe machinery. David Wood Baking Ltd was fined over half a million pounds after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) stepped in.
The incidents happened between June and December 2022. One of the most shocking cases was on June 25, when a woman’s arm got caught in a conveyor belt. She ended up with two open fractures and permanent nerve damage, needing three surgeries and metal plates to fix her arm.
Then, on July 20, a guy got trapped in a mechanical mixer while trying to fix it. The lid fell on his arm, and he was stuck for about 90 minutes before the fire brigade rescued him. He suffered an open fracture and nerve damage too.
Later, on December 4, another woman had a finger severed when her hand got caught in an unguarded drive belt. She also has ongoing nerve damage.
The court learned that this company has a history of poor safety practices. They were previously fined £858,000 in 2021 after a worker lost his arm in a machinery incident. The HSE found that the company didn’t do enough to keep its employees safe and that their training was lacking.
David Wood Baking Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching safety regulations and was fined £573,344, plus costs. After the hearing, an HSE inspector emphasized the importance of understanding the dangers of working with machinery. The company has been contacted for a comment.