St Helens firm fined £80,000 after worker loses fingers in machinery

Summarised from Liverpool Echo's report · Updated 5 Nov, 19:10 · Archive

A St Helens napkin manufacturer has been fined £80,000 after a woman lost two fingers and suffered serious injuries when her hand was trapped in unguarded machinery.

Liverpool Echo reports that Duni Poppies Limited, which manufactures napkins and tissue paper products in St Helens, has been fined £80,000 after a woman operator lost two fingers and suffered partial amputations to two others. The experienced machine operator of 11 years was cleaning the rollers of an embossing machine when her right hand was drawn into the machinery and trapped for several minutes. She suffered full amputations to her little and ring fingers, as well as partial amputations to her index and middle fingers, and developed increased sensitivity in her hand.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found the machine did not have an interlocked guard to prevent workers from accessing the print rollers while the machinery was operating. The company had previously been subject to enforcement action over machinery guarding issues during inspections in 2010, 2014, 2019 and 2021. Duni Poppies Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

The woman's injuries have significantly impacted her everyday life, leaving her unable to manage tasks such as cooking and unable to enjoy hobbies including cycling, knitting and gardening.

Read the report

• St Helens manufacturer fined £80,000 after woman's fingers torn off in horrific incidentThe worker's hand was trapped in the machine for several minutesLiverpool Echo · 5 Nov, 17:19

In this story: Duni Poppies Limited · St Helens · Health and Safety Executive · Cornwall Street

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