Co. Down company fined following serious injuries to agency worker
Date published:
Following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), Agri-Web Limited has today (4 March 2026) been fined £5,000 at Downpatrick Crown Court after pleading guilty to a single health and safety offence.
The Court heard that on 13 September 2023, a male agency worker sustained serious crush injuries to the hand whilst operating a Rhodes Power Press. The agency worker was instructed to punch holes into metal parts using the power press. Whilst operating the power press, the press engaged unexpectedly, crushing the workers right hand, resulting in the partial amputation of several fingers.
The investigation found that the pneumatic, interlocking guard connected to the power press did not operate as designed on the day of the incident. At the time of the incident, the interlocking barrier guard was raised, the agency worker then placed his right hand into the machine to retrieve a metal part. The power press then engaged and performed a second stroke causing the injury to the worker’s fingers. The machine should not have initiated a second stroke in the absence of the guarding device in place.
Prosecutors in the PPS’s Fraud & Departmental Section worked closely with HSENI to build a robust prosecution case.
Speaking after the hearing, Ms. Sophie Pearson, an Inspector with HSENI’s Major Investigation Team, said: “The risks associated with power presses are well known within the manufacturing industry. They are amongst the most dangerous machinery used within the industry. These accidents often result in amputation or serious injuries which can be life changing. Employers must ensure that access to dangerous moving parts of equipment are prevented.”
The investigation also found that the Rhodes Power Press had not undergone a thorough examination since it’s installation at the site in 1996. The machine involved in the incident and its associated guarding required a thorough examination, by a competent person, once in a period of every 6 months.
Ms. Pearson continued: “Employers must ensure that a periodic thorough examination of a power press, along with its guards and protection devices, is undertaken at least once in a period of every six months. This is to ensure that safe conditions are maintained, and any defects or deterioration are resolved in a timely manner.”
Further guidance on the legal requirements of safe use of workplace equipment and machinery guarding is available within HSE Approved Code of Practice and guidance (L22) Safe use of work equipment available at https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l22.htm
Notes to editors :
Breaches and fines for Agri-Web Limited are as follows:
a) Article 5 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978, fine of £5,000.
- For media enquiries please contact: HSENI Press Office on 028 9024 3249 or email media@hseni.gov.uk. For out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer on 028 9037 8110.