An aggregates company has been fined £24,000 following the death of a worker who was pulled into a conveyor machine through an unguarded opening and fatally crushed. Manjit Kumar, 34, died in hospital days after the incident at Gill Aggregates Ltd's depot in Halyard Street, Dagenham, east London, on 24 June 2020. The firm admitted breaching workplace equipment safety regulations and was also ordered to pay £43,000 in costs when sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday.
Kumar was operating a bag-flattening conveyor when colleagues discovered him trapped in the machine. The guarding had to be dismantled to free him from the equipment, but his injuries proved fatal. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed that a fixed guard surrounding the machine's compression conveyors contained a gap approximately 60 centimetres wide and 33.5 centimetres high, providing direct access to the dangerous moving parts beneath.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, which requires employers to take effective measures to prevent workers from accessing hazardous machinery components. According to HSE findings, the company had identified the risk of workers becoming trapped in the equipment two months before Kumar's death but did not include adequate guarding among the control measures it implemented. Additional guarding was only installed after the fatal incident occurred.
What were the safety failures?
The HSE investigation established that the existing guard design created a significant hazard by leaving a substantial opening through which a worker could be drawn into moving machinery. Regulations require employers to prevent access to dangerous machinery parts or stop their movement before a person enters a danger zone, with risk assessments identifying machinery hazards and measures to reduce them. In this case, despite having identified the entrapment risk earlier, Gill Aggregates failed to implement comprehensive guarding solutions that would have prevented the tragedy.
Who was responsible for the prosecution?
The case was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Edward Parton, supported by paralegal Anushka Lulith. HSE inspector Adepeju Sogadgi commented on the incident, stating:
This was a tragic incident that resulted in Manjit losing his life. The risks associated with dangerous moving machinery are well known. Employers must ensure that effective measures are in place to prevent workers from gaining access to dangerous parts.
What is Gill Aggregates?
Gill Aggregates, based in Northfleet, Kent, supplies aggregates and haulage services to builders' merchants and the construction industry. The company operates depots across the region and serves the wider construction sector with materials and logistics support.
Key Facts
- Manjit Kumar, 34, died after being pulled into a conveyor at Gill Aggregates' Dagenham depot on 24 June 2020
- A gap in the machine's guarding measuring 60cm by 33.5cm allowed access to dangerous moving parts
- The company had identified the entrapment risk two months before the incident but did not implement adequate guarding
- Gill Aggregates was fined £24,000 and ordered to pay £43,000 in costs at Snaresbrook Crown Court
- The firm admitted breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
