Legal News
Mushroom Farm Employee Awarded Personal Injury Compensation (23 September 2011)
Date: 23/09/2011
The Mushroom Farm in Langford, operated by Drimbawn UK Ltd, has pleaded guilty to offences of failing to safeguard machinery and failing to provide staff with adequate training to use this machinery. Their inadequacies resulted in serious injury to 32-year-old Kryzstif Moskalik who was working at the farm.
Prosecutor Christine Haberfield told the court that the farm failed to provide Mr. Moskalik with training on the use of the machinery. However, he was required to use the machinery and the company failed to provide him with supervision while doing so. It was in November 2010 that Mr. Moskalik first used the machinery and it was during this time that the incident occurred.
Mr. Moskalik’s role involved the use of specialist washing machinery to sanitise the nets used in the covering of the mushroom beds on the farm. The mechanism on the machine, which was supposed to hold the nets in the correct position, failed to work and employees had to become accustomed to using their hands to hold the nets in position.
While using the machinery, Mr. Moskalik’s hand and arm became entangled in the machine. He was unable to reach the safety button and needed to call for help. Mr. Moskalik suffered severe soft tissue damage and a fractured arm as a result of the incident. Mr. Moskalik was awarded £3,624.59 in costs.
Duncan Lewis’ personal injury and employment law solicitors are able to represent both publically funded and privately funded claimants and respondents across a range of issues.