Tom Matthews said recovery from his injury had been an “ongoing struggle”
Frozen food company McCain has been fined £700,000 after losing two hands in an incident at one of its factories.
Tom Matthews, from Grantham, Lincolnshire, was cleaning pulp machines when his hand dragged down a chute at the company’s Easton site.
The 33-year-old said his healing had been an “ongoing battle. “
McCain Foods Ltd admitted on Wednesday to breaching a fitness and protection rule at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court.
A spokesperson for McCain said the company takes the health and safety of its devices “very seriously” and has stepped up measures to protect its devices at its five sites.
The company, based in the UK and in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, is best known for its frozen fries.
image copyrightPAul Harrop/Geography
McCain Foods Ltd is headquartered in Scarborough, UK,
The court heard Matthews was working the night shift on Sept. 2, 2019, when he tried to remove a piece of rope hanging from the parachute.
His left hand came into contact with the machine’s rotary valve and his index and middle fingers were later amputated.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company had failed to provide cover for the machinery and had not carried out a good enough risk assessment.
The HSE also said staff had not had adequate training or supervision.
Mr Matthews now works in a health and safety team at a different company.
The dad-of-two said: “The last four years have been hard and an ongoing struggle both physically and mentally.
“I still have circulation problems in my left hand following the incident that should never have happened.”
Mr Matthews said he wanted to use his story “as an example to others and make sure something like this doesn’t happen again”.
HSE inspector Muir Finlay said the incident “could so easily have been avoided had the company taken simple steps to guard dangerous parts of machinery and provide employees with suitable training and supervision”.
McCain Foods Ltd pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching a fitness and protection standard.
In addition to the fine, the company ordered the victim to pay a fine surcharge of £170 and costs of £6,508. 51.
A McCain spokesperson said: “Since the 2019 incident, we have further strengthened our device protection measures and across our six UK plants we have had no worker protection incidents in the last 12 months.
“We sincerely regret this incident and Tom Matthews and his family. “
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