A fish processing company has been fined £420,000 after a supervisor suffered multiple fractures and two collapsed lungs when he became entangled in a palletiser machine at its Lerwick plant.
The incident occurred at Pelagia Shetland Limited, Point of Scattland, Gremista, Lerwick, in October 2024.
Curtis New, a 41-year-old forklift supervisor, was called to clear a blockage. After finding an interlocking safety gate difficult to open, he removed a panel and entered the machine area.
As he walked along the stationary conveyor towards the blockage, he triggered a sensor that restarted the machine. He was struck repeatedly by its pushers before a colleague activated an emergency stop button.
Worker suffers multiple fractures
Mr New received treatment from first aiders before being airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
He spent 10 days in intensive care and a further 10 days in a high dependency unit.
His injuries included eight fractured ribs, a pelvis fractured in five places, a fractured clavicle and scapula, and two collapsed lungs.
Mr New was later transferred to Gilbert Bain Hospital for rehabilitation and has since said he does not wish to return to his role.
HSE finds safety fencing failings
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that perimeter safety fencing around the palletiser had become insecure after a panel was damaged.
The fencing was designed to isolate the machine’s power supply whenever the interlocking safety gate was opened.
The gate had been struck by a forklift truck in early 2024, damaging its locking mechanism and making it difficult to open.
Instead of using the gate, two senior members of staff, including Mr New, had begun removing the loose panel to clear frequent machine blockages without first isolating the power.
Company updates safety procedures
Pelagia Shetland reported the incident to HSE on the day it occurred.
Following the investigation, the company reinstated the perimeter fencing so that the interlocking gate is now the only means of accessing the machine.
It also updated its safety practices to make clear that employees must never bypass safety barriers, with disciplinary action possible for breaches.
Pelagia Shetland Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 11(1) and 11(2) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, under section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
At Lerwick Sheriff Court on 26 August 2026, the company was fined £420,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £31,500, bringing the total financial penalty to £451,500.
HSE inspector Matty Spiers said: “This was a wholly avoidable incident that left a man with life-threatening injuries, and it happened because a basic, well-understood safety control was allowed to fail.
“Interlocking guards exist for one reason: to stop people reaching dangerous machinery while it’s still live. When that gate was damaged, it should have been repaired properly and its integrity restored immediately, not left in a state where a determined employee could simply lift out a panel and walk into a hazardous area.
“Curtis New is fortunate to be alive. He suffered catastrophic injuries carrying out a task that should never have been possible without the machine being isolated first.
“Employers have a legal duty to make sure guarding and interlock systems are properly maintained, and that any weakness is identified and corrected without delay. This isn’t a bureaucratic box-ticking exercise, it’s what stands between a workforce and a serious, life-changing injury.”
