Pet food giant fined £50,000 after steam scalds workers

Petcare giant Nestle Purina has been fined after five workers suffered severe burns when a steam pressure system malfunctioned.

The five men were all working on the maintenance of a hydrostat, a high-pressure food-processing machine, when they were hit by an uncontrolled release of steam and boiling water at Nestle Purina's plant on Cromwell Road, Wisbech.

Cambridge Crown Court heard Gary Coe, David Garner, Mark Mawby, Christopher Newell, and David Naylor suffered severe burns to their faces, arms and hands as a result of the incident on the 4 August 2006.

The workers, all from the Wisbech area, were treated in hospital, with one man needing cosmetic surgery to his arm. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the hydrostat control systems had been replaced prior to the maintenance work but no proper assessment of the risks associated with these modifications was undertaken.

Nestle Purina Petcare (UK) Limited, based in Croydon, Surrey admitted breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Etc. Act 1974, and Regulation 13 of the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 by failing to ensure the steam pressure system its employees were working on was safe.

The firm was fined £50,000 with £22,634.15 costs.

After the hearing HSE inspector, Peter Burns, said:

"This incident highlights the need for companies to plan and implement all projects with a clear health and safety oversight. In particular, there are strict rules and regulations around the modifications and repairs of high pressure systems that are in place to protect workers operating or maintaining these machines.

"Had Nestle Purina followed these regulations properly, this incident may have been avoided and these five men may not have suffered the injuries they did.

"HSE will not hesitate to prosecute companies who fail to take their health and safety obligations seriously."