A farming company based in Fife has been prosecuted and fined by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after a worker was involved in an accident and lost two of his toes.
The incident took place in September 2009 at the premises of R Todd & Company in Fife, when worker Peter Ednie was attempting to empty rainwater from a grain reception pit using a bucket.
The 26-year-old’s foot became caught in the exposed part of a screw auger inside the pit, because his employer Robert Todd had accidently activated the switch, mistaking it for another. The auger rotated and trapped Mr Ednie’s right foot, eventually resulting in the loss of two of his toes.
Mr Ednie was off work for six weeks and has now left the company. He still finds it difficult to walk properly due to the pain in his foot.
R Todd & Company, which by law is required to have employers’ liability insurance for incidents of this nature, was prosecuted by the HSE for failing to carry out a risk assessment for worker activities inside the grain reception pit. The company was fined £20,000 over the incident.