Rochdale bedding firm fined over multiple safety failings

A Rochdale bedding manufacturer has been fined £50,000 after a health and safety inspection found most of its machines were unsafe to use and one machine was wrapped with cardboard as the only way of protecting workers from the dangerous moving parts inside.

In October 2011 HSE inspectors visited the Queensway plant of Sartex Quilts and Textiles, where 80 staff make duvets, pillows and mattress protectors. After finding dozens of missing or inadequate guards on machines they had to return the following day to finish their inspection.

Manchester Crown Court was told that one machine, used to compact bales of quilt, had been wrapped with pieces of cardboard as the only way of protecting workers from the dangerous moving parts inside.

A loose board had been placed over a large electric motor and pulley system on another machine, and guards were generally found to be in a poor condition or missing altogether.

Sartex admitted a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 by failing to ensure the safety of its employees. On 12 June 2013 the firm was fined £50,000 and ordered to pay £14,614 in prosecution costs.

A quarter of all workplace deaths occurred in manufacturing in 2011/12, despite the sector accounting for only around 10% of the British workforce. A total of 31 people lost their lives and more than 17,000 injuries were reported.

Aegis helps companies to put the right systems in place to ensure that they meet their health and safety obligations. This includes having staff qualified to undertake Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) machinery inspections, which identify whether equipment is suitable for use and maintained in a safe condition. Employer or self-employed persons have a legal obligation to ensure that work equipment provided meets the requirements of PUWER.