TWO men failed to consider the safety of a fellow worker causing him to be injured, Huddersfield magistrates heard.
Stuart Jones, of Thorpes Crescent, Skelmanthorpe, and Michael Bradley, of Mixenden, Halifax, admitted a breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act. Bradley was fined £350 and Jones £300. Both were ordered to pay £507.20 costs.
The court heard Jones had disabled a safety device on the instruction of his superior Bradley, 41, at the Ben Shaws soft drinks factory, in Willow Lane, Birkby, on July 26 2003, after bottling machinery continually broke down.
This allowed Roy Simpson, from Huddersfield, to get close to the machine without having to go through the usual safety procedures which were taking a long time to carry out. Mr Simpson was advised to press the emergency stop button before going near the machine - but he forgot and his arm and wrist were badly injured by a mechanical arm.
Paul Yeadon, prosecuting for the Health and Safety Executive, said: "Mr Simpson was injured when attempting to realign bottles on the large, industrial machine.
"The bottles are lined up on a table. A mechanical arm then moves them along - these are the dangerous parts of this machine."
Simon Ross, defending, said it was an unfortunate incident and it was not thought that Mr Simpson, who was very experienced, would be exposed to danger.
