Magistrates fined a farming company £2,000 today after one of its employees lost part of his foot in a machine.

Firefighters spent two hours freeing farm worker Anthony Dolan and considered amputating his foot to release him after he became trapped in the machine at Scholebrook Farm in Tong, a hearing in Bradford heard.

Stephen Hanson, a director of CK Hanson and Son Ltd, a poultry and cattle business at the farm, pleaded guilty to failing to prevent access to dangerous machinery under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Magistrates heard that Mr Dolan lost a toe and part of a heel, broke all his toes and damaged the ankle of his right foot in the accident in January last year.

The court was told that Mr Dolan, who had worked for the business for ten years, was cleaning the battery hen house when his left foot slipped into the auger, a screw conveyor that takes manure out of the building.

As he attempted to free himself, his right foot became caught and he was unable to reach a button to stop the device from rotating, the court heard.

But Kenneth Hanson, also a director of the company, was working nearby and stopped the machine.

Health and Safety Executive inspector Charles Callis told the court: “If nobody had heard him he would have been slowly drawn into the machine and the consequences could have been fatal. He was very lucky he did not loose one or both of his feet.”

Mr Callis said no guards were in place and the risk of someone becoming trapped had not been considered.

But employees had been warned about the dangers of the machine prior to the accident and within 24 hours it was covered by a guard, he added.

In mitigation for CK Hanson and Son, Nathan Buckley said Mr Dolan had been supervised while cleaning the hen house when he started at the farm and it was a task he had undertaken without incident three times a week for ten years.

He said the company took health and safety seriously and had acted immediately to prevent a similar accident from occurring. He added: “This is not a case where by the defending company has failed to heed employees concerns.”

Bench chairman Peter Holmes ordered the company to pay £1,380 in costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

He told Stephen Hanson, who was in court: “It’s a duty of good management to look at equipment and imagine the worst situation that could happen. You must look at all your equipment and see if there’s any other things that need doing.”