Fish Processing Firm Fined Over £450k After Supervisor Trapped in Industrial Machinery
- LESH
- 10 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Incident Details: 41-year-old forklift supervisor Curtis New was severely injured while clearing a blockage in a palletiser machine at Pelagia Shetland Limited's Lerwick facility on October 10, 2024.
How It Happened: Finding a jammed interlocking safety gate difficult to open, Mr. New removed a loose enclosure panel to step onto the stationary conveyor. His movement triggered an automatic sensor, restarting the machinery and repeatedly striking him with mechanical pushers before a coworker pressed the emergency stop.
Medical Impact: Emergency first aid was administered onsite before Mr. New was airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. He spent 20 days across intensive care and high-dependency units with two collapsed lungs, eight broken ribs, five pelvic fractures, and a broken clavicle and scapula. Following further rehabilitation at Gilbert Bain Hospital, he decided not to return to his position.
Investigation Findings: Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors revealed that the safety gate's locking mechanism had been damaged by a forklift earlier in 2024. Instead of fixing the lock, staff—including two senior employees—regularly bypassed the isolated power system by removing the compromised panel to clear routine jams.
Company Response & Penalties: Pelagia Shetland restored the perimeter guarding, restricted access strictly to the fully repaired interlock gate, and introduced strict disciplinary policies against bypassing safety barriers. At Lerwick Sheriff Court on August 26, 2026, the company admitted to health and safety breaches (under PUWER 1998 and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974), receiving a £420,000 fine alongside a £31,500 victim surcharge.
HSE Statement: Inspector Matty Spiers emphasized that the catastrophic event was completely preventable. He noted that damaged interlocks must be repaired immediately rather than left accessible, reiterating that properly maintained machine guarding is a critical legal obligation to protect workers from life-altering harm.
LESH Comments: This is yet another PUWER related incident, which are seeing far too many of in the UK.
This could have been prevented by properly training staff regarding guarding and safety features. Implementing a robust lock out process, which only key trained staff operate.
We always suggest including the topic of blockages in your risk assessments and machinery training, or staff will attempt to solve problems themselves.
At LESH we support many companies with PUWER inspections and ensuring systems are robust and compliant. If you need support get in touch:
01623 239705
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