A MEAT processing company has been fined £310,000 after two workers had their fingers cut off.
One incident involved a 37-year-old man working on the Lorne sausage processing line at what was then the Hall's of Scotland factory in Glenburn Road, Prestwick, on August 22 2016.
The Crown Office said in a statement he had tried to clear a blockage by pushing the meat down into the mincer but lost part of his finger when it came into contact with the moving machinery.
Another incident on January 7 2019 at the factory, now run by Browns Manufacturing Limited, involved a 22-year-old who was mixing meat for cocktail sausages.
He was moving it to the next machine in the process when he reached through a gap and got his hand caught in the revolving mixer.
The man was taken to hospital and his middle finger had to be amputated, the Crown Office said in a statement.
He had to have physiotherapy and counselling for persistent nightmares after the incident.
Hall's of Scotland/Browns Manufacturing Limited pleaded guilty at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Friday to failing to ensure the dangerous parts of the machinery were inaccessible and not providing training for their staff.
It was fined £120,00 for the 2016 incident and £190,000 for the 2019 incident.
In both cases, the workers were not given sufficient training and safety measures were not in place.
The company has since made changes to both machines and updated its training procedures.
Alistair Duncan, head of the health and safety investigation unit, said in a statement: "Both of these workers were left permanently disfigured by incidents that were foreseeable and easily avoided.
"Since these incidents, the company has installed guards and interlocks on these machines, as well as improved their training.
"Hopefully this prosecution and the sentence will remind employers that failure to fulfil their obligations can have serious consequences."
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel