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Fish company fined after worker becomes entangled in machine

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The fish processing company was fined £451,500 (stock picture)

A fish processing company in Shetland has been fined after a man was left with life-threatening injuries when he became entangled in a machine at its Lerwick plant.

Curtis New, a forklift supervisor, was clearing a blockage in the palletiser machine on 10 October 2024 when it restarted and he was struck repeatedly.

The 41-year-old was airlifted to hospital and suffered multiple fractures and two collapsed lungs.

Pelagia Shetland Limited, in the Gremista Industrial Estate, pleaded guilty to health and safety failings and was fined £451,500.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said New was called to clear a blockage and, after finding the interlocking safety gate difficult to open, he removed a panel and entered the machine area.

As he walked along the stationary conveyor to reach the blockage, New triggered a sensor which restarted the machine and he was struck repeatedly by its pushers before a colleague hit an emergency stop button.

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Pelagia Shetland Limited admitted health and safety failings at Lerwick Sheriff Court

He was treated at the scene by first aiders before being airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, where he spent 10 days in intensive care and a further 10 days in a high dependency unit.

New suffered eight fractured ribs, a pelvis fractured in five places, a fractured clavicle and scapula, and two collapsed lungs.

He was later transferred to Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick for rehabilitation, and has since said he does not want to return to his role.

HSE inspectors found that perimeter safety fencing around the machine, designed to isolate its power supply whenever the safety gate was opened, had become insecure after a panel was damaged in early 2024.

This made it difficult to open, so rather than use the gate, two senior staff, including New, had been removing the loose panel to clear frequent blockages in the machine, without isolating the power first.

'Fortunate to be alive'

Pelagia Shetland reported the incident to HSE on the day it happened and following an investigation, the company reinstated its perimeter fencing.

The gate is now the only way of accessing the machine and safety practices have been updated to make clear that staff must never bypass safety barriers, or they will face disciplinary action.

The company was fined £420,000 and ordered pay a victim surcharge of £31,500 at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday.

HSE inspector Matty Spiers said: "This was a wholly avoidable incident that left a man with life-threatening injuries, and it happened because a basic, well-understood safety control was allowed to fail.

"Curtis New is fortunate to be alive. He suffered catastrophic injuries carrying out a task that should never have been possible without the machine being isolated first.

"Employers have a legal duty to make sure guarding and interlock systems are properly maintained, and that any weakness is identified and corrected without delay."