Leeds-based David Wood Baking Ltd has been fined £333,333 after an employee suffered multiple fractures, including a broken arm, when it became entangled in a sausage roll conveyor line.
Ribeca Jesuthasan was injured while working at the firm’s food manufacturing factory in Sheerness, Kent, on 1 December 2023.
At the time of the incident, Jesuthasan was cleaning a sausage roll production line when she passed her hand through an unguarded conveyor roller.
Although the conveyor line had initially been switched off, it began to operate while she was cleaning it. Her arm was then pulled into the rotating roller, causing multiple fractures.
An investigation carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) determined that David Wood Baking had failed to prevent access to the rotating parts of the sausage roll conveyor line.
Employers have a legal duty to take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery. This will normally involve the use of fixed guarding.
Where routine access is required, interlocked guards may be necessary to prevent dangerous parts moving before a person can reach the danger zone.
David Wood Baking Limited, of Calverley Road, Leeds, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
The company was fined £333,333 and ordered to pay £7,644 in costs at Medway Magistrates’ Court on 1 September 2026.
On the incident, a company spokesperson said: “This incident was a serious matter and our thoughts remain with the colleague involved. Since the event occurred in 2023, we have made significant investments and improvements in our health and safety management systems, engineering standards, governance, training, and leadership across the business.
“While no organisation ever wants to be in this position, the improvements recognised during the court proceedings demonstrate our commitment to learning from the past and ensuring the highest possible standards of safety for our colleagues going forward.”
As reported by our sister publication British Baker, the firm was previously fined more than £573,000 after multiple workers suffered serious injuries in separate incidents during 2022 at its sites in Bolton.
