Worker suffers leg amputation after accident, wood paneling manufacturer fined £400K
An investigation conducted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety, has determined that Kronospan Limited could have prevented the severe injury of a 53-year-old worker. The incident occurred at the company’s factory in Chirk when a pack of waste MDF sheets fell from a trailer. The pack, which weighed approximately 350kg, landed on the leg of an employee named Mark Hughes. Because his injuries were so severe, the worker had to have his leg amputated below his knee.
An investigation conducted by the HSE found that there was no suitable risk assessment or system of work in place specifically relating to the risks associated with the stacking, movement and loading of waste MDF sheets.
Kronospan Limited of Chirk, Wrexham pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. They were fined £400,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,701 at Wrexham Magistrates Court on 19 November 2024.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, HSE inspector Marie Wheeler said “A man has suffered truly life-changing injuries as a result of this company’s failures.
“The incident was completely preventable had a proper risk assessment been carried out.
“Nor did the company have a suitable safe system of work in place.
“HSE will always take action when basic failures like these result in very serious injury.”
Mark Hughes added, “My injury has changed everything in my life, it is like somebody dropped a bomb on our life and never picked up the pieces,” he said.
“Everything now just takes a lot of planning to do and spontaneous trips do not happen anymore.
“I won’t go anywhere that has a lot of steps.”
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About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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