A recent HSE prosecution is a reminder that serious injuries do not only happen during major construction works or obvious high-risk tasks. They can happen during routine cleaning, maintenance and everyday production work.
The HSE reported that a manufacturing company was fined £340,000 after an employee was seriously injured while cleaning machinery. The worker suffered long-term damage to his hand after his arm became trapped during the cleaning process. HSE found that suitable measures had not been put in place to protect employees, and that training and supervision were inadequate.
This is exactly why machinery safety, safe isolation, lock-off procedures and supervision must never be treated as “basic admin”.
They are life-changing controls.
What happened?
According to the HSE, the worker was cleaning a machine used to manufacture pellets. During the task, he manually raised a hydraulic ram, opened a door and reached into the machine to clean it. As he withdrew his arm, the door fell and activated the hydraulic ram, trapping his limb. He required multiple operations and continued to experience loss of sensation and movement.
HSE’s investigation found that the company failed to put suitable and sufficient measures in place to prevent employees from being put at risk while cleaning the machine. The investigation also found that employees had not received sufficient information and instruction, training was inadequate, and workers were not suitably supervised.
The message is clear: if a machine can move, restart, drop, rotate, press, cut or crush, it must be properly isolated before cleaning, maintenance or adjustment work begins.
Why this matters for small businesses
Small businesses often rely on experienced workers who “know the machine”. That experience is valuable, but it is not enough on its own.
If the safe system of work is unclear, if isolation points are not marked, if lock-off is not used, or if supervision is inconsistent, the business is exposed.
Small businesses should check:
Are machines properly risk assessed?
Are cleaning and maintenance tasks included in the risk assessment?
Are lock-off procedures written and understood?
Are workers trained and refreshed regularly?
Are supervisors checking the task is being done safely?
Is there proof that training, checks and actions are recorded?
For small businesses, one serious incident can affect staff, cashflow, insurance, reputation and the ability to win work.
Why this matters for contractors and subcontractors
Contractors often work around machinery they do not own. This creates extra risk.
If a contractor cleans, repairs, installs, services or maintains machinery, they must understand the site’s isolation rules before work starts. The client must also ensure the contractor is competent and properly briefed.
This is where contractor compliance becomes critical.
Before work starts, contractors should have:
A suitable RAMS pack.
Task-specific training evidence.
Relevant permits or authorisations.
Clear isolation and lock-off instructions.
A named supervisor or site contact.
A way to stop work if something feels unsafe.
Contractors lose opportunities when their paperwork is weak. More importantly, they expose people to harm when their controls are unclear.
Why this matters for medium and large organisations
Larger organisations often have policies, procedures and safety manuals. The problem is not always the absence of documents. The problem is whether those documents are used properly on the shop floor.
This is where internal audits and operational assurance matter.
A strong organisation should be able to answer:
Are isolation procedures being followed in reality?
Do supervisors know what to check?
Are cleaning tasks treated as high-risk work where needed?
Are training records current?
Are procedures reviewed after changes to machinery or process?
Are near misses recorded and investigated?
Are contractors following the same safety standard as employees?
If the answer is uncertain, the system needs checking.
Why this matters for public-sector bodies and buyers
Public-sector bodies and large buyers are increasingly expected to understand contractor and supplier risk.
If a supplier operates machinery, manages cleaning tasks, runs production equipment or carries out maintenance, the buyer should consider whether the supplier has suitable health and safety controls.
This is especially important for suppliers working in waste, manufacturing, logistics, facilities management, estates, food production, engineering or industrial services.
Procurement teams should not only ask for policies. They should ask for evidence.
That evidence may include training records, audit results, risk assessments, lock-off procedures, inspection records, incident logs and corrective action tracking.
What organisations should check now
This HSE case should prompt every organisation with machinery to carry out a practical review.
Start with these checks:
List the machinery where cleaning, maintenance or adjustment takes place.
Check whether every energy source can be isolated.
Confirm lock-off equipment is available and used.
Review whether workers have been trained properly.
Check whether supervisors are actively monitoring the task.
Review whether contractors follow the same controls.
Update RAMS, SOPs and permits if gaps are found.
Record findings and close actions with clear owners.
The key point is simple: safe isolation must be real, visible and evidenced.
How TPMG can help
TPMG helps organisations move from “we think this is controlled” to “we can prove this is controlled”.
We support clients, contractors and public-sector bodies with:
ISO 45001 internal audits.
Machinery safety and operational risk assurance.
Lock-off and safe isolation procedure reviews.
RAMS, SOPs and policy documentation.
Contractor compliance support.
E-learning and in-person training.
Worker competence and onboarding systems.
Incident recovery and corrective action planning.
Digital dashboards for compliance, training and action tracking.
Our role is to help organisations identify the gaps before an incident does.
Final thought
The HSE case is not just about one machine or one employer.
It is about a common pattern: routine task, weak isolation, inadequate training, poor supervision and serious harm.
The organisations that stay safe are the ones that check the real system, not just the policy folder.
Speak to TPMG about ISO 45001 internal audits, machinery safety assurance, lock-off training, RAMS support or contractor compliance.
