McCain Foods fined £700,000 after worker needs fingers amputated after accident

The frozen potato company admitted contravening two health and safety regulations.

Tom Matthews had to have his left middle and index finger partly amputated following the incident (Health and Safety Executive/PA)

Frozen potato company McCain Foods has been fined £700,000 after an employee needed to have parts of two fingers amputated following an accident at a factory in Lincolnshire.

Tom Matthews, from Grantham, had part of his left index and middle finger amputated after the incident on September 2 2019.

Mr Matthews was cleaning a batter system machine when his hand was drawn into a rotary valve at the firm’s factory in Easton, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said.

I want to use my story as an example to others and make sure something like this doesn’t happen again

Tom Matthews

On Wednesday, McCain Foods was fined £700,000 at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to contravening two health and safety regulations, after being prosecuted by the HSE.

Following the case, Mr Matthews, a father of two who champions health and safety in his current job at a different company, warned others to avoid his misfortune.

He said: “The last four years have been hard and an ongoing struggle both physically and mentally.

“I still have circulation problems in my left hand following the incident that should never have happened.

“While I’m currently working, my new role is with the health and safety team at a different company as I want to use my story as an example to others and make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.”

The HSE said that its investigation found McCain Foods had failed to provide appropriate guarding to prevent access to the rotary valve and had not conducted an adequate risk assessment of the batter machine.

It also found that it had not provided employees with sufficient health and safety training or supervision, the executive said.

The company, whose international headquarters is in Canada but whose UK base is in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, was also ordered to pay £6,508.51 in costs and a victim surcharge of £170.

HSE inspector Muir Finlay said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided had the company taken simple steps to guard dangerous parts of machinery and provide employees with suitable training and supervision.

“Companies and individuals should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

McCain Foods said in a statement that steps had been taken to improve safety since the incident.

A spokesperson said: “At McCain, we take the health and safety of our colleagues extremely seriously and have co-operated fully throughout all stages of this case.

“Since the incident in 2019, we have further enhanced our machinery safety measures, and across our six UK sites, we have had zero employee safety incidents over the past 12 months.

“We sincerely regret this incident and extend our apologies to Tom Matthews and his family.”