A tragic workplace accident forced factory worker Liam Haydon to have his arm amputated after it became trapped in a machine, a court has been told.
Kepak Group Limited is currently on trial, accused of neglecting the health, safety, and welfare of its employees following the incident.
At just 22 years old, Mr. Haydon was working at the company’s facility, where animals are slaughtered and meat processed. The plant, employing around 900 people, includes a hygiene department with 60 workers, among them Mr. Haydon.
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On February 16, 2021, Mr. Haydon, who had been employed for nearly two years, was cleaning in the ‘lamb boning hall’—an area requiring thorough nightly cleaning. The court heard he was using a ‘Speco solids-liquids separation’ machine designed to separate fats and liquids, which was supposed to be covered by a safety cage.
According to the prosecution, Mr. Haydon noticed the safety cage was unsecured when he arrived to perform cleaning. Believing the machine to be off, he began the cleaning process. After removing debris from the floor and attempting to clean stubborn meat residue, he placed his left arm inside the machine to dislodge it.
At that moment, the screw conveyor inside the machine unexpectedly started operating—the conveyor had been previously blocked and stopped during production, a problem left unaddressed. Mr. Haydon’s cries for help were heard by a colleague who quickly intervened, stopped the machine, and called emergency services.
Despite rescue efforts, the severity of the injury meant the only way to free Mr. Haydon was through amputation of his arm.
A health and safety investigation revealed Mr. Haydon had completed 167 cleaning instruction cards during his training, which included only 3 to 10 minutes of relevant instruction. The prosecution alleges that Kepak Group Limited failed to adequately manage the risks associated with operating and cleaning the Speco solids-liquids separation machine, thereby compromising employee safety.
The trial is ongoing.