AN award-winning bakery which has outlets across the region has been fined for safety breaches after a worker suffered severe injuries while operating a pastry-making machine.

Northallerton Magistrates Court heard Simon Ventress had his hand pulled into the Janssen lid forming pastry machine at Thomas the Baker's production centre in Sawmill Lane, Helmsley, in February last year.

Mr Ventress, who had worked for the firm for more than a decade at the time of the incident, had skin torn from his hand and sustained several fractured fingers.

The Health and Safety executive said medics had described Mr Ventress's injuries as a "partial de-gloving", for which plastic surgeons have traditionally used skin grafting to reconstruct hand surfaces.

The court was told the family-run firm, which opened its first shop 35 years ago and has won a series of awards, including for its sausage rolls, had modified the machine, removing parts of the guarding system to improve its operation.

When the modification was removed after being found to be ineffective the guards were not replaced.

The firm admitted failing to ensure that effective measures were taken to prevent access to the dangerous parts of the machine, or to stop the movement of dangerous parts of the machine before any part of a person, including Simon Ventress, entered the danger zone.

It also pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the machine was fitted with a control to prevent it being started except by a deliberate action.

The Helmsley-based company has 21 shops in York and North Yorkshire, including at Bishopthorpe Road, Haxby, Tang Hall, Acomb, Easingwold, Selby, Malton and York city-centre.

Magistrates lowered the fine to £6,500 after hearing the firm had entered a guilty plea and ordered it to pay £691 costs and a £120 victim surcharge.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Julian Franklin said: “Modifying machines should always involve a reassessment of the safety of that machine. Guard checking routines should be periodically audited to ensure they remain effective.”

Simon Thomas, the firm's general manager, said: “Both the family and directors of Thomas the Baker deeply regret the unfortunate accident that led to Simon injuring his hand.

"Simon has since made an excellent recovery. During 35 years of trading, this is the first time that a member of staff has sustained a serious injury of this nature at work.

"Full co-operation was given to the Health and Safety Executive during their investigations and action has been taken to safeguard against similar incidents in the future.”