Shropshire Star

Shropshire laundry firm must pay £8,000 after teenage worker seriously injured

A Shropshire laundry company has been ordered to pay more than £8,000 after a teenage worker suffered severe injuries when he became trapped in machinery.

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Officials at CleanTex Ltd, which is based at Stafford Park in Telford, admitted to failing to take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous moving parts of an industrial laundry machine at a hearing at Telford Magistrates Court yesterday.

Failures led to Matthew Brown, 19, from Telford, suffering leg and spinal injuries when trying to retrieve an item of clothing from the machine on October 22 last year.

Mr Brown suffered a broken ankle, which required emergency surgery, and fractures to four vertebrae. He spent nine days in hospital and was off work for seven months while recuperating and completing a course of physiotherapy. He has since returned to work on light duties.

CleanTex, whose director Paul Woodhead was in court, pleaded guilty to a charge of contravening a health and safety regulation. Mr Gary Smith, for CleanTex, said the company was apologetic for what had happened.

The company must pay a fine of £7,500, costs of £756.50 and a victim surcharge of £15 – a total £8,271.50.

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