A chicken firm in Suffolk has been fined a total of £230,000 after two of its workers were injured in separate accidents.
The accidents occurred at the 2 Sisters Food Group site, which is located in Flixton, in 2009. The first involved Shaun Alexander, who suffered injuries to his hand after it was crushed in a machine. Just a month later, another employee, Malcolm Raven, broke his arm after it became trapped when he was clearing an enclosure.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated both incidents and concluded that the firm had breached health and safety regulations. Had all safety procedures been followed, including risk assessments and better training for staff, the incidents may not have occurred.
As a registered business with employees, the 2 Sisters Food Group will have an employers’ liability insurance policy ready for such incidents. Depending on the policy, it is likely that this professional insurance will have covered the costs of the HSE prosecution.
Commenting on the incident, a spokesperson for the chicken firm said:
“The case concerned is regrettable and the company has worked hard since this occurrence to improve its training procedures, risk assessments and systems of work for cleaning duties and operations within the Flixton factory.”