A plastics conversion company has been fined £277,500 after a man died when he became trapped in the moving parts of an unguarded machine.
Paul Whalley, 46, was employed by Reflex Flexible Packaging Ltd at their factory in Derbyshire when the incident occurred.
The incident occured in 2020 when Whalley entered an opening in the side of a plastic conversion machine. The area contained several unguarded mechanisms, and he became trapped in the machine.
Despite efforts by the emergency services, including cutting conveyor belts and rollers to free him, Whalley died at the scene from crush asphyxia.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Reflex Flexible Packaging Ltd failed to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for the operation of the machine.
The company had not installed appropriate guarding to prevent access to dangerous parts of the machine and had no written safe systems of work or isolation procedures in place.
HSE guidance states that employers must take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery.
This typically involves fixed guarding, but where routine access is required, interlocked guards may be needed to stop movement before a person can reach the danger zone.
Reflex Flexible Packaging pleaded guilty at Derby Crown Court and was fined £277,500 and ordered to pay £20,000 in costs.
Following the hearing, HSE Inspector Lee Greatorex said: “This wholly avoidable incident was caused by the failure of Reflex Flexible Packaging Ltd to guard the dangerous parts of the machine Mr Whalley was operating.”
“It was obvious that these moving parts were not guarded and presented a clear risk of injury. Had the company fitted suitable guarding, this fatality would not have occurred.”