An East London worker was crushed to death after being sucked into a bag flattening machine at a Dagenham factory. Manjit Kumar, 34, a production operative for Gill Aggregates Limited, suffered fatal injuries on June 24 2020, at the company's site in Halyard Street, Dagenham.
Mr Kumar was operating a bag flattening conveyor system that formed part of a larger piece of machinery when he was drawn into the compression conveyor through an opening in the guarding. His colleagues raised the alarm and stopped the machine, but the guarding had to be dismantled to reach him. He was so badly injured that he died in hospital a few days later.
HSE investigation reveals guarding failure
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Gill Aggregates Limited had failed to prevent access to dangerous parts of the machinery. Although a fixed guard was fitted around the compression conveyors, it contained an opening measuring approximately 600mm wide by 335mm high, which allowed access to the dangerous moving parts.
Further guarding has since been installed to prevent access to the compression conveyors. The HSE investigation concluded that the company's failure to adequately guard the machinery directly contributed to the fatal incident.
Company fined after court hearing
Gill Aggregates Ltd, of Botany Marsh, Lower Road, Northfleet, Kent, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. At Snaresbrook Crown Court on 28 September 2026, the company was fined £24,000 and ordered to pay a contribution towards costs of £43,000.
HSE Inspector Adepeju Sogadgi said: “This was a tragic incident that resulted in Manjit losing his life. The risks associated with dangerous moving machinery are well known. Employers must ensure that effective measures are in place to prevent workers from gaining access to dangerous parts.”
Impact and next steps
The fine and cost order reflect the seriousness of the safety breach, which cost a young worker his life. The HSE has emphasised that all employers operating machinery with moving parts must review their guarding systems to ensure compliance with safety regulations, preventing similar tragedies in the future.
