TWO firms have been fined after an accident in which a young Poundworld shop assistant trapped her arm in a machine.

The 24-year-old woman had only recently begun working for the discount retailer at its store in Captain Cook Square, Middlesbrough, when the accident happened in December 2013.

Poundworld, which has an annual turnover of more than £400m, was fined £60,000 with £4,800 costs at Teesside Crown Court.

Judge Tony Briggs stated it was “perfectly plain on the evidence” that it had no system of regular inspection.

A second defendant, York-based Easi Recycling Solutions, which supplied the machine, used to compress and bale waste cardboard, was fined £10,000 with £4,000 costs.

Both firms admitted charges brought under the Health and Safety At Work Act in a prosecution brought by Middlesbrough Borough Council.

The victim was left with some permanent scarring and continued to have difficulties with weakness and numbness in the arm, although it had improved since.

Judge Briggs said he was satisfied there was a faulty “tripping mechanism” on the machine which staff were unaware of.

He also said the nature of its construction meant that its two buttons were able to be operated with one hand because of their closeness together – which staff regularly did - rather than the intended two.

This left one hand free to become entangled in the machine.

The judge said the high-volume vertical baler, which was constantly in use, had been put in a “most inconvenient place”, a storeroom.

The court heard how 24 such machines were hired by Poundworld and there had been no previous problems with them, but all of them were subsequently taken out of circulation.

They had since been redesigned at significant cost.

John Cooper, for Poundworld, said it was not a high culpability case and had argued that the design flaw with the machine should have been spotted by Easi Recycling during their own risk assessments.

Tom Gent, for Easi Recycling, said any failure in relation to training on the machine was not down to the company.

He said: “Had the employees been properly trained to operate the machine and the training applied properly then the accident would not have occurred.”

Councillor Mick Thompson, Middlesbrough Council’s executive member for communities and public health, said: “This case should serve as a reminder to employers to ensure that any equipment they have which can cause injury is correctly installed, maintained and used in a safe manner, and that includes ensuring that those who use it are properly trained and instructed.”