A worker’s arm was pulled into a chicken-processing machine and his wrist crushed, a court heard.

The Oxfordshire-based firm for which 58-year-old Piotr Zielinski worked has now been fined £20,000 after it admitted breaching health and safety rules.

The health and safety executive, which brought the prosecution, said Mr Zielinski was cleaning poultry processing equipment at Belwood Foods’ Kirkby-in-Ashfield plant in November 2019 when he was seriously injured.

He was removing debris trapped on the hinges of an open access panel door at the base of a hopper machine, HSE said.

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The door had been opened to allow the debris to drain from the auger, a type of screw bit.

But the auger was still working and caught Mr Zielinski’s right arm, causing his arm to be dragged into the machine.

Skin and muscle were torn from his arm and his wrist was crushed.

HSE inspector Lee Greatorex said: “This injury was easily preventable.

“Employers have a responsibility to properly assess the risks from all aspects of their operations, including cleaning and maintenance, and implement effective control measures to minimise the risk from dangerous parts of machinery.

“HSE will not hesitate to take action against companies which do not do all that they should to keep people safe.”

An investigation by the executive found that the access panel door to the hopper could be opened while the auger was moving.

Belwood Foods, based in Henley, pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act.

On Monday, the firm was fined £20,000 at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court and ordered to pay almost £7,840 in costs.

The company has been approached for comment.