YORK magistrates have fined a waste disposal company £15,000 for an accident that cost a young agency worker his arm at the Harewood Whinn recycling depot.

It was the second time this year Yorwaste has appeared before them for offences at the Rufforth site.

And it could face further court appearances as Michael Ibbetson, 19, seeks compensation in a civil action following the incident on February 26 at the site.

Factory inspector Paul Robinson told magistrates the agency worker's arm was pulled into a conveyor belt as he was working on it without training, experience or proper supervision.

He was trying to remove small stones that were preventing the machine from working properly while it was still switched on.

"He didn't think it was a particularly dangerous thing to do," said Mr Robinson. He saw it as a quick way to get the machine working properly and had done it before.

But his hand was tugged into the machinery which pulled his arm off at the shoulder.

Mr Ibbetson, in a state of shock, managed to press a stop button at the front of the machine and firefighters rescued the arm. But doctors were unable to sew it back on.

The victim still suffers pain and needs painkillers.

He had never been trained in how to use the machine, although company managers had received safety training and the company had a manual that stated that maintenance could only be done while the machine was switched off.

Yorwaste of Mount View, Standard Way, Northallerton, pleaded guilty to a health and safety at work offence. Magistrates fined it £15,000 with £885 prosecution costs.

They said that Mr Ibbetson was a nave, but conscientious worker and proper safety systems would have prevented the accident.

For the company, Peter Smith said it had reviewed and changed its safety procedures since the accident.

The eight-year-old company had been shocked by the incident. It had never been in trouble with the Health and Safety Executive before, but had fully co-operated with it.

He said Mr Ibbetson's actions had been one cause of the accident.

Outside court, managing director Stephen Grieve said the accident had had a profound impact on everyone with the company and that people's welfare and safety was its number one priority.

Mr Ibbetson did not want to comment.

* In March, York magistrates fined Yorwaste £3,000 plus £1,500 prosecution costs after it admitted breaching environmental controls.

The Environment Agency brought that case after pollution leaked from the site in a nearby river tributary.

Updated: 08:06 Friday, October 19, 2001