A Haddenham firm has been fined £22,000 after a worker broke both his legs when a stack a metal sheets fell onto his ankles.

K Two Sales Ltd, an agricultural equipment manufacturer based in Station Road, pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches at Wycombe Magistrates’ after an employee was seriously injured on January 10 last year.

The court heard on March 21 that the employee had accessed the rear of a guillotine to measure some off-cuts.

There were around 20 sheets of 4mm thickness stacked on top of each other and when he tried to remove one of them, the whole stack fell on top of him.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the steel sheets were being stored without adequate means to prevent them from falling.

K Two Sales Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £22,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £1,647.20.

Speaking after the case, HSE inspector Stephen Faulkner said: “This injury could have easily been prevented had the risk should have been identified.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards”.