Beccles company fined £330,000 over employee's death
Nathan Hook suffered fatal head injuries whilst at work
A Beccles-based company's been fined hundreds of thousands of pounds after a young dad was killed while doing his job.
34-year-old Nathan Hook, a father of one, was working for Maynard and Harris Plastics in October 2021, when he was drawn into rotating machinery.
He suffered fatal head injuries.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had failed to provide suitable health and safety training.
At a recent hearing, it pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act and was fined £330,000.
Speaking after the hearing, his mother Jacqueline Castledine said the investigation and HSE prosecution had ‘completely exonerated’ her son.
“I have very mixed emotions but pleased Nathan’s been completely exonerated,” she said.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank those have supported us throughout this horrendous ordeal, far too many to mention. But mostly the HSE for their thorough investigation and its conclusions.
“We must now try to move forward keeping Nathan with us always.”
What happened?
The HSE investigation found that Nathan had been on a late shift and was operating a lathe in the tool room to create a work piece for a machine.
He applied emery cloth by hand to the workpiece to debur the metal, however, it became entangled and wrapped around the workpiece, drawing him in.
His sweatshirt sleeve also became entangled pinning him against the rotating workpiece and causing fatal head injuries.
Investigators ruled that Maynard and Harris Plastics had failed to provide suitable health and safety training regarding the use of emery cloth on lathes.
They also said the company did not have a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for use of alternative methods, such as application of emery cloth using a stick.
Maynard and Harris Plastics, of Ellough, Beccles, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act.
They were fined £330,000 and ordered to pay £4,373 costs at a hearing at Chelmsford Magistrates Court on 5 December 2024.
HSE inspector Natalie Prince said: “Our thoughts remain with Nathan’s family.
"He was a young dad who should have returned home safely to them at the end of his working day, but because of this company’s failings, he did not.”