Egg farm fined £53,000 after worker suffered serious nerve damage when arm became trapped in machinery

A poultry and egg company has been fined £53,000 after a worker suffered serious nerve damage when his clothing became trapped in machinery.

A 36-year-old man was working at Mains of Auchenbadie Farm, near Banff, Scotland, on October 15, 2024, during a routine cleaning operation when the tragedy occurred.

Without stopping the machinery, as he had been trained to do, the employee climbed into the confined space between two manure conveyor belts to investigate an unusual noise.

Suddenly, his clothing became caught between the pressure roller and the underside of the conveyor belt.

Emergency services were called to free him from the machinery after a colleague used an emergency stop button to halt the conveyer.

The employee was then taken to hospital, where he was found to have suffered nerve damage in both arms.

Restoration of full function to his right arm took three months, and he returned to work in February 2025, where he remains employed by the company.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that Duncan Farms Limited had no fixed or interlocking guarding installed to prevent access to the dangerous nip points when the conveyor was operating.

Despite the absence of crucial safety measures, the site was found to have sufficient risk assessments covering entanglement hazards, and regulation ensuring employees wore close-fitting clothing.

Such measures were redundant, with no means of preventing a person from accessing the conveyor and no way to automatically stop the belt before they could be reached.

Employers have a legal duty under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 to take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery.

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Jurate Gruzaite, HM inspector of Health and Safety, said: “This incident could have had devastating consequences.

“Workers must never be placed in a position where they can access dangerous moving parts of machinery while it is in operation.

"Guarding is not optional it is a fundamental requirement of the law. Had appropriate fixed guards been in place at the drive end of these conveyors, this injury would not have happened.

“I would urge all employers who use conveyor systems to review their guarding arrangements without delay.”

Fixed or interlocking guarding is the most effective means of protecting staff and should be the primary control measure, as opposed to reliance on clothing guidance or training alone.

Duncan Farms Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 11(1) and (2) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, and Section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The company was fined £53,000 at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on May 7 this year.