Feed manufacturer William Thompson (York) has been fined £500,000 by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following a serious work injury on its premises. Thompsons has been part of Malton-based co-operative the Brandsby Agricultural Trading Association (BATA) since 2014.
The incident at the company’s Jubilee Mill site in York in November 2023 saw a 41 year old supervisor lose part of his foot when it became entangled in a rotating auger.
The HSE report says the man had been trying to resolve a maintenance issue with the machinery. He was able to open the press while its parts remained in operation at significant speed. His foot became entangled in the rotating auger, and he sustained injuries so serious he remained in hospital for a period of six weeks.
The subsequent (HSE) investigation found that William Thompson (York) had failed to prevent access to dangerous parts of the machinery. Nor had it carried out a suitable risk assessment of the work being performed.
William Thompson (York) pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company was fined £500,000 and ordered to pay £4,455 in costs at York Magistrates court on 18 November 2025.
“This company’s failures resulted in a man sustaining life-changing injuries,” commented HSE inspector Shauna Halstead. “Too many workers are injured or killed every year because of failures to guard dangerous parts of machinery. Companies must implement safe working practices when carrying out maintenance operations.
“We will not hesitate to take action against companies which do not do all they should to keep people safe when working with machinery.”
• The HSE guidance states employers must take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery. This will normally involve fixed guarding, but where routine access is needed, interlocked guards may be needed to stop the movement of dangerous parts before a person can reach the danger zone. Further guidance can be found here: Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) – HSE.