McCain Foods fined £700k after East Mids worker had to have fingers amputated following accident

Frozen chip giant McCain Foods has been fined £700,000 after an employee had to have parts of two fingers removed following an accident at a factory in Lincolnshire. Tom Matthews, from Grantham, had part of his left index and middle finger amputated after the incident on September 2, 2019.

He had been cleaning a batter system machine when his hand was drawn into it at the firm’s factory in Easton, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said.

On Wednesday, McCain Foods was fined £700,000 at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to contravening two health and safety regulations, after being prosecuted by the HSE.

Following the case, Mr Matthews, a father of two who champions health and safety in his current job at a different company, warned others to avoid his misfortune.

He said: “The last four years have been hard and an ongoing struggle both physically and mentally.

“I still have circulation problems in my left hand following the incident t