The manufacturer was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
It was subsequently fined £573,344 and ordered to pay £12,288 in costs during a hearing on 19 December 2024 at Manchester Magistrates’ Court.
The incidents, which took place between June and December 2022, included a woman having her arm drawn into a conveyor belt at a David Wood Baking site in Bolton, a woman having her finger severed at the same site, and a man becoming trapped in a mechanical mixer at a separate Bolton facility.
All three employees suffered nerve damage as a result of the incidents, with one woman forced to undergo three operations and endure the insertion of two metal plates in her arm.
The HSE investigation into all three incidents found that the firm had failed to keep its workers safe from risks posed by food manufacturing machinery.
Meanwhile, inspectors concluded that the training provided was inadequate and the level of monitoring was insufficient to rectify issues.
At the hearing, the court also heard that David Wood Baking has a history of poor machinery guarding practice, having previously been convicted and fined £858,000 following an incident in 2021 that caused a man to have his arm surgically removed.
With eight sites in the UK, the firm manufactures private label baked products for retailers and brands.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Jennifer French said: “This company failed to keep employees safe from risks posed by food manufacturing machinery. The training was inadequate and the monitoring insufficient to rectify issues.
“It is important for industries to understand the potential dangers arising from the use of, or working near, dangerous machinery.
“HSE will always be prepared to use appropriate enforcement when companies fall short of their duties and responsibilities.”
The prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Iain Jordan.
