The worker, who asked to remain anonymous, caught his wedding ring on an unguarded attachment of the rotating shaft on a powered bowl mixer, Swindon Magistrates’ Court was told.
The man suffered injuries to his ring finger, which required partial amputation, after the accident at the bakery’s premises in Devizes on March 3 2015.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed that the company had modified the machine by adding a securing clip to a rotating shaft.
Failed to identify
But it had failed to identify and address the additional risk created by this modification.
Haydens Bakery, of Hopton Estate, London Road, Devizes, Wiltshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998 and Regulation 3(3) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
The business was fined £40,000 with costs of £5,950.
Fined £40,000
A spokeswoman for the firm told FoodManufacture.co.uk: “Haydens Bakeries Ltd (‘Haydens’) confirms that it pleaded guilty to a breach of PUWER regulations following an accident at its bakery in Devizes in March 2015 and has been fined £40 000.
“The incident was caused when a Haydens employee had a ring caught in the machine he was operating. The resultant injury led to significant damage to one of his fingers and unfortunately the finger was subsequently amputated. Haydens regrets the injury caused and supported the employee during his absence from work and recovery period. We are pleased that he was able to return to work.
“Haydens prioritises the safety and welfare of all its employees and prior to this incident has had an excellent health and safety record.”
The latest HSE advice on operating machinery safely is available on the HSE website.