Dangerous parts of machinery should be properly checked, insist safety experts

Farmers have been told to properly assess and minimise risks from dangerous parts of machinery.

The plea follows an accident where a farm employee received serious injuries when his arm was drawn into the rollers of a potato grading machine.

Lincoln Magistrates Court heard how on October 21 2016, an employee of Leverton Brothers was cleaning and emptying a potato grading machine when his right arm was drawn into the unguarded contra-rotating haulm rollers.

To check the grader was emptying, the employee climbed on to the side of it and reached across in an attempt to move the remaining potatoes.

His glove was caught by the rollers, drawing his arm in and it took 45 minutes to release him. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that a safe stop procedure could have been followed and that the contra-rotating rollers should have been guarded.

The farming partners, David and Philip Leverton, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 3 (1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and Regulation 11 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. They were each fined £5,000 and each ordered to pay costs of £892.10.

HSE inspector Martin Giles said: “This injury could have been easily prevented and the risk should have been identified.

“Employers should make sure they properly assess and apply effective control measures to minimise the risk from dangerous parts of machinery.”