Shropshire kitchen giant Aga has been fined £25,000 after an employee lost a thumb in an accident at its Coalbrookdale foundry.

Anthony Bridgewater had been checking to see whether sand had clogged in machinery when his hand hit a rotating blade, amputating his thumb and breaking his finger. The company was also ordered to pay £7,000 in court costs.

Aga Consumer Products, of Wellington Road, Coalbrookdale, admitted breaching Health and Safety regulations by failing to prevent an accident to its employee.

Ms Rhona Campbell, prosecuting at Shrewsbury Crown Court today, said the accident happened in May 2006 while Mr Bridgewater, a long-serving employee, was working on maintenance, draining sand from extraction machinery.

He passed out after the incident and a colleague went to his aid. His thumb was recovered, but surgeons were unable to save it.

Ms Campbell said, although there was an on/off switch at the side of the machine, there had been no guard fitted. The unit had been one of three fitted by ENF, which had been fined £5,000 for fitting the equipment without a guard.

She said Aga had carried out no risk assessment on the machinery, which would have shown up the lack of a simple guard.

Mr Adam Farrer, for Aga, said the company had no previous convictions and took its health and safety responsibilities seriously, with three full-time health and safety officers in its Telford factories, which employed 140 people.

Mr Farrer said the company had expected the extraction units to come with safety guards.

Judge Nicholas Mitchell said Mr Bridgewater had unwisely felt inside the extractor to find out why there was a blockage, not realising the proximity of the machinery to the outlet.

He added Aga had a primary liability as employer and should have ensured there was no risk to workers.

An Aga spokesman said: “We are deeply sorry for the injury and distress caused to Mr Bridgewater. We take health and safety very seriously and spend about £500,000 on it each year.

“It’s the first prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive. For 28 years we’ve achieved British Safety Council International Safety Awards.”

By Sue Austin