Workers deny causing death of man who fell into pasta machine

A man dies after falling into a giant pastamaking machine.

DUBAI // Three colleagues of a man who died after being sucked into a pasta mixer have been accused of causing the tragedy.

A security and safety officer and two other employees of the Al Bostan Pasta factory in Jebel Ali denied the charges before the Dubai Court of Misdemeanours.

The 28-year-old victim, MR, died when his upper body got trapped in a machine that mixes flour with water to prepare pasta.

Prosecutors said KS, 45, from Britain; FA, 30, a Filipino electrician; and KW, 40, an Indonesian machinery operator, did not provide workers with proper training on the dangers of operating the mixer, or properly supervise. A security guard called police after a worker told him about the accident at 7.30am on February 26.

The forensics report said he died instantly.

FA told prosecutors that MR had informed him about a malfunction in the mixer.

"I went along with KW to check the mixer," FA said.

While trying to find the reason for the malfunction, the mixer set off the alarm. FA asked KW to shut off the electricity.

MR, who had been standing behind him, violated procedure, according to FA.

"MR opened the automated door before the shutdown was complete and he was sucked in due to air pressure," FA testified.

KS denied responsibility and said MR died by his own mistake, adding that MR was trained to work with the mixer.

"When the electricity is shut down, the mixer's door opens automatically and should not be opened manually before that unless the electricity shutdown was complete," KS said in records.

He added that the mixer contains sharp blades and that all workers had been trained how to operate it.

"MR underwent two training courses," he said.

The next hearing will be on September 26.