Factory environments power the UK’s manufacturing sector, but behind the noise and productivity lies a constant risk: machinery.
From assembly staff to skilled machine operators, every worker plays a vital role, yet each faces unique hazards.
Most of these factory workers will encounter machinery in the course of their daily work. Routine tasks can quickly become dangerous without adequate training or sufficient safety measures; and when these safety measures fall short, the consequences can be devastating.
Entanglement, crushing, pinching, and being struck by machinery are only a few examples of the dangers of improperly managed or used machinery. Which explains why there has been a staggering 55,000 non-fatal injuries in between 2022-2025 in the manufacturing industry alone.
The Nestle conveyor belt incident
In November 2020 a maintenance technician working for Nestle UK suffered multiple fractures to his arm after getting trapped by a conveyor belt roller system. The worker had thought he heard an alarm on a previously faulty belt and went underneath the machine to inspect, what he thought was, an idle roller. As he reached up to steady himself, his sleeve got caught in the roller, pulling at his left arm and dragging him into the machine. He was unable to hit any emergency button, and his colleague had to physically unbolt the roller to free him.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that Nestle UK had failed to properly assess the risk of the roller and not installed adequate guarding – despite a near identical incident happening at their Halifax plant in 2016.
The ongoing toll of machinery-related injuries
Machinery-related injuries extend far beyond a single company. Recent HSE findings show a troubling trend: workers continue to suffer amputations, crushing injuries, and severe trauma due to inadequate guarding or poor maintenance. Major injuries, including the loss of fingers and damage to eyesight, frequently stem from defective or unguarded equipment, with 12% of major factory injuries occurring due to insufficient machine guarding.
It’s important that employers regularly assess the risks of the machinery that is used by their employees, and ensure that the employees are safely using these machines.
The consequences can be fatal. While nonfatal injuries remain high, fatal incidents still occur. There were 11 fatal injuries to workers in 2024/2025, with 17% of these being related to encountering moving machinery.
A particularly harrowing example is the case of 45yearold David Lockwood, who became entangled in an unguarded wiredrawing and recoiling machine at a South Yorkshire factory in 2021. With exposed moving parts and insufficient safeguarding, Mr Lockwood’s accident proved fatal, a tragic reminder of the irreversible price of inadequate safety protections.
Lessons to be learnt
Employers should take note of such tragic events and learn from the mistakes of others. Health and safety should be of upmost importance to ensure the same doesn’t happen to their employees.
Employers have a clear legal duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and associated regulations to routinely assess machinery risks, provide proper training, and install and maintain effective guards and safety systems. These aren’t optional precautions, they are essential protections designed to save lives.
For those who have been injured due to unsafe machinery or insufficient employer precautions, a personal injury claim can provide:
- Financial compensation
- Access to rehabilitation
- Longterm support to rebuild their lives
No worker should bear the consequences of an employer’s failure to keep them safe.
