CONFECTIONERY giant Nestle UK Ltd has been fined £640,000 and ordered to pay £26,234 in costs after an employee was dragged into a machine on the production line at its site in Albion Mills, Halifax.

Bradford Crown Court heard today that the company, which also has a site in Haxby Road, York, breached health and safety regulations on February 13, 2016, at the After Eight production machine.

While observing the operation, the technical operator placed his right hand close to a gap in the machine housing. An emery cloth held in his right hand was dragged into the machine taking his arm with it.

He was unable to reach any of the emergency stop buttons located around the machine from the position in which he was trapped, the court was told.

He had to be released from the machine by paramedics and suffered a double com-pound fracture to his arm that required surgery.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had failed to prevent access to dangerous moving parts of the machine, namely an ‘in-running nip’. There was a gap large enough to allow access at a belt conveyor entry on the After Eight line.

Nestle UK Ltd, of City Place Gatwick, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.They were fined £640,000 and ordered to pay £26,234 in costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Jacqueline Ferguson said: “This is a tragic in-cident that could so easily have been avoided. The risks inherent in failures to properly guard dangerous parts of machinery are well known in industry and to Nestlé.

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