A major meat processing company is facing trial after a young factory worker was forced to have his arm amputated following a horrific industrial accident, a court has heard.
The Incident at Kepak's Merthyr Plant
Liam Haydon was just 22 years old when the life-altering incident occurred on 16 February 2021 at the Kepak Group Limited plant on Penygarnddu Industrial Estate in Merthyr Tydfil. The prosecution told Cardiff Crown Court that Mr Haydon's arm became trapped in a machine he was attempting to clean.
Alan Fuller, opening the case for the prosecution, explained that the plant, which employs around 900 people, is where animals are slaughtered and meat is processed. Mr Haydon worked in the hygiene department, one of 60 staff in that team, and had been an employee for almost two years at the time of the accident.
How the Tragedy Unfolded
The court heard that Mr Haydon was working in the 'lamb boning hall', an area requiring extensive overnight cleaning. He was using a 'Speco solids-liquids separation' machine, a device covered by a cage designed to separate fats and liquids.
On the night of the incident, Mr Haydon entered the machine room and saw the protective cage was not secured. He lifted it, observed the machine was not running, and presumed it had been switched off by an engineer. After using a shovel and a jet washer to try and remove debris, he reached into the machine with his left arm to dislodge stuck meat.
"As soon as he dislodged what was there, the screw conveyor sprang into life," Mr Fuller told the court. The prosecution alleged the conveyor had been blocked and stopped during production, a problem that had gone unaddressed.
A colleague in an adjacent hall heard Mr Haydon's cries and rushed to help, finding his arm being pulled further into the machinery. The colleague hit the isolator button to stop the machine and called emergency services.
Aftermath and Alleged Safety Failures
The court was told that the only way to free Mr Haydon from the machine was to amputate his arm. Following the incident, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) led the primary investigation.
Inquiries examined areas including Mr Haydon's training. The prosecution revealed he had undergone 167 separate 'cleaning instruction cards' during his training, with each relevant session lasting only three to ten minutes.
Kepak Group Limited is accused of failing to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its employees, including Liam Haydon, in relation to risks from operating, cleaning, and maintaining the Speco machine. The alleged breach covers the date of the incident and the period before 19 February 2021.
The trial continues.
