A Thetford based chemical manufacturer has been fined £100,000 after an employee suffered hand injuries when his hand became caught in an unguarded conveyor.
The employee was working for Easy Cleaning Solutions Ltd at its chemical manufacturing site in Thetford in April 2024 when the incident occurred.
He had removed a cardboard box from a running conveyor when his hand became entangled in the unguarded machinery.
The worker suffered a broken finger and bruising to three other fingers. His injuries required surgery and left him unable to work for six weeks.
HSE finds machinery safety failings
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Easy Cleaning Solutions Ltd had failed to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery.
The powered conveyor linked two pieces of handling equipment within the packaging area at the company’s Thetford site.
HSE guidance states that employers must take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous machinery. This will normally involve fixed guards.
Where routine access is required, interlocking guards, sometimes with guard locking, may be necessary to stop dangerous parts moving before a worker can reach the danger zone.
Company fined £100,000
Easy Cleaning Solutions Ltd, of Brunel Way, Thetford, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
The company was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £6,468.18 in costs at Norwich Magistrates’ Court on 17 July 2026.
HSE Inspector Paul Shackleton said: “Every year, a significant proportion of accidents, many of them serious and sometimes fatal, occur because of poorly guarded work equipment.
“This was a wholly avoidable incident caused by the failure to guard dangerous parts of machinery. Had Easy Cleaning Solutions Ltd installed suitable guarding on the conveyor, this injury could have been prevented.”
