Kerry Ingredients to pay £24k for scalding accident

Kerry Ingredients (UK) Ltd was prosecuted after an employee was scalded by hot cleaning solution while working on an industrial cooking vessel.

The accident happened when the then 38-year old Elver Alicarte from Hartlepool was trying to re-attach an end cap to pipework leading from a cooking vessel. The equipment was being cleaned at the time using a very hot cleaning solution.

Hot cleaning fluid​

The end cap was likely to have been removed earlier to allow workers access to remove bones and other organic matter from the pipework, Hartlepool Magistrates’ Court was told on Monday (November 24). But, unaware someone was trying to close the pipework, a colleague opened an outlet valve, sending hot cleaning fluid shooting down the pipe and over the worker’s arm.

The injured employee was taken to a walk-in centre with a serious scald injury to his right forearm. Unable to return to work for two weeks, Alicarte suffered temporary limited movement of his arm.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Jonathan Wills said the accident could and should have been avoided. “The activity that Mr Alicarte was involved in was a frequent process and the company should have properly assessed the risks involved in the task and put simple control measures in place to prevent injury,” ​said Wills.

“This should have included a procedure to prevent the valve holding the scalding hot cleaning solution from being inadvertently opened whilst people were close by.”​

Breaching regulations​

Kerry Ingredients (UK) Ltd, of Parkview East Industrial Estate, Hartlepool, was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £8,950.20 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and breaching regulations 8(1) and 19(3) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

A spokesman for Kerry Ingredients told FoodManufacture.co.uk: “We regret this incident took place and the injury to our colleague. Following an investigation of the accident, new procedures have been put in place to mitigate a similar accident in future.”​

Kerry Ingredients’ revenue accounted for about two-thirds of Kerry Group’s overall revenue. The business supplied more than 15,000 ingredients and flavours to many of the world’s biggest names in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets.

More information about working safely in the catering and food preparation industries is available from the HSE website​.