Waitrose fined after 17-year-old's arm crushed

Prosecutions and Claims |
11.06.2008

Supermarket chain Waitrose must pay nearly £30,000 in fines and costs after a 17-year-old employee had his arm crushed in a cardboard baling machine at a store in Birmingham.

The teenager was trapped in the machine for an hour and a half. He suffered two broken bones and had to have operations including a bone graft.

Waitrose admitted failing to provide a safe system for using the machine and failing to properly assess the risks to young workers.

On 6 June Birmingham magistrates fined the company £20,000 for the first breach - the maximum penalty available - and £5000 for the second, plus £4792 costs.

A Waitrose spokesperson said: "When this accident occurred in February 2006, Waitrose immediately took steps to ensure that an accident of this nature does not happen again.

"These measures included the introduction of a rigorous three-year safety training programme for all Waitrose branches.

"Waitrose has also committed to improving existing health and safety policies for all its shops."