A North Yorkshire company has been fined more than half a million pounds after a night shift worker fell to his death.

Mark Pinder, 51, was working for East Riding Sacks Ltd, a manufacturer of paper sacks, at its site in Stamford Bridge, near York, when the accident happened on 11 February 2023.

Mr Pinder, from York, had been operating one of the production lines when a blockage occurred on the upper deck of the machinery. After identifying the cause, he attempted to remove the blockage.

He was standing on the stationery metal rollers when his colleagues witnessed part of the machine being activated.

The accident happened at East Riding Sacks Ltd, a manufacturer of paper sacks, at its site in Stamford Bridge, near York

placeholder image — The accident happened at East Riding Sacks Ltd, a manufacturer of paper sacks, at its site in Stamford Bridge, near York

Mr Pinder was struck by the machine which caused him to lose his footing, falling some 3m from the unguarded edge of the metal rollers to the factory floor below.

Although paramedics were called to the factory, he died at the scene from his injuries.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that East Riding Sacks Ltd failed to provide a robust safe system of work.

Falls from height remains one of the leading causes of workplace injury and death.

Mark Pinder was standing on the stationery metal rollers when his colleagues witnessed part of the machine being activated.

The investigation found that workers routinely cleared blockages themselves, relying solely on the interlock guarding to stop the machine.

Workers were using the conveyor belt as a shortcut between gantries, often climbing over the handrails onto the equipment rather than down the stairs and walking around. Management were unaware of the practice.

East Riding Sacks Ltd, of Full Sutton Industrial Estate, Stamford Bridge, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 .

The company was fined £533,000 and ordered to pay £6,066 in costs at Hull Magistrates Court.

The scene at the factory at Stamford Bridge where Mr Pinder suffered fatal injuries after a fall from height

HSE inspector Elliot Archer said: “Every year, a significant proportion of accidents, many of them serious and often fatal, occur as a result of people accessing dangerous parts of machinery and working at height.

“Where access beyond machinery guarding and safety devices is required for the removal of blockages, robust isolation procedures to remove all sources of power should be implemented alongside a suitable safe systems of work.

“Had these been in place, and the recognition of work at height being undertaken been flagged by the company, with appropriate controls implemented, this incident would have been avoidable”