£120,000 fine for paper mill over “serious crush injuries”

HALIFAX paper mill Sonoco Cores & Paper has been fined hundreds of thousands of pounds after a worker was injured on site, causing him to have his fingers amputated.

The company appeared at Bradford Crown Court following a Health and Safety Executive investigation into the incident in September 2013.

A worker severed his middle finger in machinery while changing a roll on a board machine at the firm’s Halifax plant.

He required amputation of both his index and ring fingers and is now registered as partly disabled.

Sonoco Cores & Paper Ltd of Stainland, Halifax pleaded guilty and was fined £120,000.00 with £6,354.00 costs.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Inspector Jackie Ferguson said: “The company failed to provide a safe system of work for changing couch rolls on a board machine.

“Their risk assessment for this type of work was not suitable or sufficient, it had identified the hazard , yet it did not consider the likelihood or severity of the risk and did not identify appropriate measures to prevent an uncontrolled fall of the machine’s hinged steel arm.

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

The Sonoco group is a multi-billion dollar global company, with sites in Bradford, Chesterfield, Hull and Manchester as well as Halifax.