Gökyüzü Walthamstow: Restaurant fined over boy's hand trapped in mincer

Gökyüzü Walthamstow, Seaborne Road, had no written risk assessments, training or other safety procedures in place

The director of a north-east London Turkish restaurant has been fined £70,000 after an eight-year-old boy's hand was trapped in a mincing machine.

Waltham Forest Council said the boy suffered life-changing injuries in the kitchen of Gökyüzü Walthamstow, Seaborne Road, on 7 April, 2019.

Veysel Yavuz pleaded guilty to health and safety offences when he appeared at Stratford Magistrates' Court on Friday.

On top of his fine, Yavuz was told to pay £16,557 in court costs.

Waltham Forest Council said environmental health officers had visited the restaurant after being told of the incident and found there were no written risk assessments, training or other safety procedures.

Guard removed

In a statement, the council said: "Officers found that the in-built fixed guard to the mincing machine had been removed with a mechanical angle grinder, which caused the child's injuries when his hand became trapped in the cutting mechanism in the restaurant's kitchen."

Yavuz pleaded guilty to one count of failing to ensure the safety of employees and one count of failing to ensure dangerous machinery had the required safety measures in place.

A third charge of failing to control access to the kitchen was dropped, the council said.

Waltham Forest Council deputy leader Clyde Loakes warned the authority would prosecute "those that fail in their duties".

He added: "This incident has left a young child with life-changing injuries and all because Gökyüzü Walthamstow failed in their health and safety obligations by removing the safety guard from their mincing machine.

"It is often forgotten that improvements in Health and Safety law and practice have saved many serious injuries and constant vigilance by those responsible is needed to ensure compliance."

Gökyüzü has been approached for a comment.

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