A UK manufacturer has been fined £160,000 after a maintenance engineer suffered catastrophic, life-changing injuries when his arm was pulled into an unguarded conveyor.
The incident is the latest in a concerning series of workplace accidents involving conveyors and inadequately guarded machinery, highlighting the potentially devastating consequences when workers are able to access dangerous moving components.
Maintenance engineer Daniel Slinger was working a night shift at Factory Services UK Limited’s site at Knowsley Industrial Park in Merseyside on 18 March 2025 when he was asked to investigate a problem with a conveyor.
While the conveyor was still running, Mr Slinger reached through a hole in its casing to clear material.
His arm was subsequently pulled into the moving machinery.
Worker waved at CCTV camera for help
The circumstances became particularly distressing because Mr Slinger was working alone.
There was nobody nearby to see or hear what had happened.
Trapped in the machinery, he repeatedly waved towards a CCTV camera in an attempt to attract somebody’s attention.
Nobody monitoring the system came to his assistance.
After approximately 40 seconds, he eventually managed to free his arm himself.
The accident resulted in catastrophic injuries to his forearm and hand, including a fracture and extensive degloving injuries.
He required multiple operations and blood transfusions and continues to receive specialist medical treatment. According to HSE, Mr Slinger has been unable to return to work.
FULL REPORT Read the official HSE report into the conveyor accident
Hole had reportedly existed for years
The subsequent Health and Safety Executive investigation uncovered an especially concerning feature.
HSE found that the hole in the conveyor had been created years earlier so workers could clear blockages while the machinery continued operating.
Investigators also discovered another conveyor at the site with a similar unauthorised access point.
Despite routine inspections, management walkarounds and audits, HSE said these dangerous modifications had not been identified and corrected.
This meant employees had potentially been exposed to dangerous moving machinery for a prolonged period before the serious accident occurred.
Following the incident, the company installed a fixed mesh guard and an emergency-stop button at the location.
Safety procedures existed – but were not enforced
Another important aspect of the case concerns the difference between having safety procedures and ensuring they actually protect workers.
HSE found that Factory Services UK Limited had risk assessments and safe systems of work requiring machinery to be guarded and isolated before maintenance or cleaning took place.
However, investigators concluded that these procedures had not been properly followed or enforced.
This provides an important lesson for workplaces throughout Britain.
Written policies, risk assessments and safety manuals cannot protect employees if everyday working practices allow dangerous shortcuts to become normalised.
Machinery safety arrangements need to work in practice as well as on paper.
Company fined £160,000
Factory Services UK Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
At Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 8 September 2026, the company was fined £160,000 and ordered to pay £4,728 in costs.
HSE said the incident was preventable and emphasised that employers must maintain appropriate guarding, implement safe working systems and protect employees against foreseeable risks.
The regulator’s guidance under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) says businesses must take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous machinery. These will normally include appropriate guarding and, where necessary, emergency-stop equipment and adequate means of isolating machinery from its energy source.
HSE guidance on the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER)
Not an isolated conveyor accident
The prosecution follows several serious machinery incidents previously reported by The Workers Union.
In June, we reported on a worker who suffered life-changing injuries after becoming trapped in an unguarded conveyor at a recycling facility in Bristol.
The employee had been attempting to clear a blockage when he came into contact with the moving conveyor. He suffered severe crush injuries including multiple fractures, nerve damage and serious lacerations.
Previous Workers Union report: Worker suffers life-changing injuries after conveyor belt accident
The Workers Union subsequently reported another serious machinery accident in Telford involving a laminating machine.
A worker’s hand was pulled between moving rollers during a cleaning operation, resulting in a severe crush injury requiring two operations and several nights in hospital.
HSE found that a fixed guard had not been installed and that the cleaning process had not been adequately assessed.
More recently, The Workers Union reported on the risks created when workers and members of the public are inadequately separated from heavy machinery and workplace transport, following an accident at a Scunthorpe scrap yard that injured a father and son.
Previous Workers Union report: £40,000 fine after collapsing scrap metal injures father and son
Together, these cases demonstrate why machinery safety remains an important issue for workers across manufacturing, recycling, warehousing, food production and other industrial environments.
What does the law require?
PUWER applies broadly to machinery, tools, appliances and other equipment used at work.
HSE says employers must ensure work equipment is suitable for its intended purpose, maintained in a safe condition and used by people who have received appropriate information, instruction and training.
Businesses must also take effective measures to prevent workers accessing dangerous moving parts. Fixed guards will commonly be appropriate, while interlocked guards may be required where routine access is necessary.
HSE equipment and machinery safety guidance
The definition of using work equipment is also broad. It includes activities such as starting, stopping, repairing, maintaining, servicing and cleaning equipment.
That is particularly relevant because serious accidents frequently occur not during ordinary production but when workers intervene to clean equipment, remove material, investigate faults or clear blockages.
What should workers do if machinery appears unsafe?
Workers should not become accustomed to missing guards, defeated safety devices or unofficial access points simply because a machine has been operated that way for a long time.
If a guard is missing or damaged, an emergency stop does not work, machinery cannot be safely isolated or employees are routinely expected to reach into dangerous areas, the issue should be reported through the appropriate workplace safety procedures.
The HSE provides further practical guidance on the safe provision and use of workplace equipment, including maintenance, inspection, guarding and employee training.
HSE guide to providing and using work equipment safely
The Workers Union view
This latest prosecution should concern workers and employers alike.
The particularly troubling aspect is not simply that a worker’s arm was pulled into a conveyor. HSE found that the opening allowing access to the dangerous machinery had existed for years, despite workplace inspections, management walkarounds and audits.
That demonstrates why workplace safety cannot become a box-ticking exercise.
Risk assessments and written procedures have value only when they translate into safe everyday working practices.
The Workers Union believes workers should be able to raise concerns about dangerous machinery without feeling under pressure to accept shortcuts simply because “that’s how we’ve always done it.”
Employers should investigate concerns, near misses and unsafe modifications before somebody is injured.
For Daniel Slinger, the consequences of this incident have already been life-changing.
For other workplaces, the prosecution should provide an opportunity to examine machinery, guarding, isolation arrangements and maintenance procedures before another worker suffers a similar injury.
Related Workers Union coverage: Life-changing conveyor accident at recycling site | Worker’s hand crushed in machinery incident | Scrap metal accident injures father and son
External resources: Official HSE prosecution report | HSE PUWER guidance | HSE machinery safety guidance
