Farm worker suffered serious nerve damage after getting caught in conveyor belt

A company has been fined after a worker at a farm in Aberdeenshire suffered serious nerve damage after getting caught in a conveyor belt.

The incident took place during routine cleaning on October 15, 2024, when the 36-year-old man was working at Mains of Auchenbadie Farm near Banff.

During his shift, the employee heard an unusual noise coming from an egg collection conveyor.

Without stopping the machinery, as he had been trained to do, he climbed into the confined space between the two manure conveyor belts to investigate.

His clothing was caught in the in-running nip between the pressure roller and the underside of the upper manure conveyor belt.

His colleague used an emergency stop button to halt the machinery and the emergency services were called to free him.

He was taken to hospital where he was found to have suffered nerve damage in both arms. It took three months for full function to be restored to his right arm.

He returned to work in February 2025 and remains employed by the poultry and egg production company.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that, while Duncan Farms Limited had risk assessments in place covering entanglement hazards and had instructed employees to wear close-fitting clothing, no fixed or interlocking guarding had been installed at the drive end of the manure conveyors to prevent access to the dangerous nip points when the conveyor was operating.

There were no measures in place that would have prevented a person accessing the in-running nips, or which would have automatically stopped the belt before they could be reached.

The firm pleaded guilty to breaches of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act. Act 1974.

The company was fined £53,000 at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on May 7.

Jurate Gruzaite, HM inspector of Health and Safety, said: “This incident could have had devastating consequences.

“Workers must never be placed in a position where they can access dangerous moving parts of machinery while it is in operation. Guarding is not optional it is a fundamental requirement of the law. Had appropriate fixed guards been in place at the drive end of these conveyors, this injury would not have happened.

“I would urge all employers who use conveyor systems to review their guarding arrangements without delay.”