Hughes Mushrooms fined after worker loses leg in compost machine

Mr Ilic climbed on to the filling machine to remove compost

A mushroom producer has been fined more than £70,000 after an employee's leg became trapped in a machine and had to be amputated.

Luka Ilic, then aged 29, caught his leg in the rotating blades of a filling machine in Home-on-Spalding-Moor.

Howden Enterprises Ltd, trading under Hughes Mushrooms, pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

The company was fined £73,333 at Hull Magistrates' Court on 10 April.

Howden Enterprises Ltd, of Trew Mount Road in Dungannon, Northern Ireland, was also ordered to pay £7,522.60 in costs within a year.

Mr Ilic's leg got caught in the blades of the mixing axle when the machine turned on

On 16 October 2019, Mr Ilic climbed on to the machine, used to prepare and fill compost in growing trays, to remove remaining parts of compost.

The machine then turned on and his leg was caught by the blades in the mixing axle.

Surgeons later needed to amputate his leg below the knee.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into the incident found the company "failed to adequately assess the operation of the filling machine, in particular the cleaning of the machine."

It also said the firm "failed to ensure their robust isolation and safe operating procedures were in place and followed".

HSE inspector Louise Redgrove said: "This incident could have easily been avoided with a robust isolation procedure and padlock for each worker involved."

The BBC has contacted Hughes Mushrooms for a comment.