Duni Poppies fined £80,000 after worker’s hand was trapped in print rollers
Duni Poppies Limited admitted a machinery safety breach after an experienced operator suffered multiple finger amputations. The £80,000 fine followed findings that dangerous rollers remained accessible and an interlocked guard was missing.
Duni Poppies Limited was fined £80,000 at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 3 November 2026 after a worker suffered serious hand injuries while cleaning machinery at its St Helens site. The company pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. It was also ordered to pay £4,756 in costs. HSE published its report on 5 November 2026. The release does not give the date of the injury, so the sentencing and publication dates must not be presented as the accident date.
The worker had been a machine operator for 11 years. She was cleaning rollers in a machine used to emboss logos and emblems onto tissue paper before the napkins were folded into shape. Her right hand was drawn into the machine and remained trapped for several minutes. She suffered full amputations of her little and ring fingers and partial amputations of her index and middle fingers. HSE did not name her in its public account. There is no basis for adding an identity, age or employment history beyond the details the regulator supplied.