The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a warning to ensure that machinery is properly guarded, following the conviction of a company after a worker lost part of a finger in a machine.

Micronized Food Products, whose registered office is at Saint Neots Road, Sandy, today pleaded guilty in Northallerton Magistrates Court of breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA). The company was fined £2,500 plus costs of £1,542.

The HSE brought the prosecution after an incident on January 14, 2008 at the company's premises at Standard Way Industrial Estate, Northallerton.

A grain elevator that led to a bagging machine became blocked. The employee noticed that the bagging machine was not filling bags, and concluded that this was due to a blockage.

He removed an access panel at the base of the elevator, and whilst a colleague went to fetch a vacuum cleaner to clear the blockage he leant on the grain elevator.

The grain began to flow out of the open panel, clearing the blockage, and the elevator began to move. It caught the employee's hand and removed part of a finger, which was later sewn back on in hospital.

The elevator access panel was not fixed to prevent its removal whilst the dangerous parts of the elevator were in motion.

It was inadequate to prevent employees from easily accessing the dangerous parts, and had been so for at least 20 years.

The company also had inadequate systems to make sure safety features on machinery were suitable for the safety of their employees.

HSE inspector Paul Yeadon said: "Dangerous parts of machinery should not be accessible. Safety guards and devices on machines are put there for a good reason – the safety of the machine operators – and they need to be appropriate for the risk.

"In this instance Micronized Food Products failed to ensure the appropriate procedures were in place and this resulted in a needless injury. The Health and Safety Executive will not hesitate to prosecute employers who put the health and safety of their workers in danger."