Simple safety measures would have prevented an accident that led to a father of two being crushed to death.

Alan Gerrard, from Rotherham, was killed after his clothes became entangled in a machine at the Macalloys factory in Dinning, Sheffield, pulling him into the mechanism.

The 47-year-old agency worker had been employed by the firm for just three weeks when the accident happened in January 2013.

“The law requires that employers take all reasonable steps to guard against access to such dangerous parts of machinery,” said Health and Safety Executive inspector Denise Fotheringham.

“This risk associated with this machine should have been assessed by the company and it was not. It should have been adequately guarded and it was not. Simple safety precautions would have prevented this awful incident happening.”

McCalls Special Products Limited (trading as Macalloys), of Caxton Way, Dinnington, Sheffield, was fined £200,000 plus £16,804 in costs.

The firm, which manufactures and supplies threaded bar and cable systems, admitted offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Mr Gerrard’s wife, Debra, said: “I am completely devastated at losing Alan. He was my soul-mate and we had been together for 25 years. We shared everything and had a very happy life. I miss him in all kinds of ways. He was my world.”

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