Mushroom firm fined after worker dragged into machine
The firm Drimbawn (UK), part of the Monaghan Mushrooms Group, allowed the removal of safety devices in order for workers to hold nets in place by hand as the cleaning machine was running, with the safety cover open, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Krysztof Moskalik was using the machine for the first time when the accident happened on November 18 last year. After Moskalik guided the net into the machine his hand became tangled in a moving part and his arm was dragged into the rotating mechanisms. He suffered a double break to his arm and extensive soft tissue damage.
The HSE also found Moskalik had received no training for using the machine.
HSE inspector, Christine Haberfield, said: "Mr Moskalik suffered a severe injury and, nine months on, he is still not in a position to return to work.
"Machines of all sizes can cause serious injury if not used correctly. By disabling the safety mechanisms on this machine and allowing workers to feed it by hand, Drimbawn not only failed Mr Moskalik but all the other workers who used the machine and who could also have easily been injured.
"It is vital that safety devices on machines are used and checked to make sure they work properly all the time, and that anyone operating them is trained beforehand so that they know how to use them safely."
