The owner of a butchers in Ealing Common has been ordered to pay more than £50,000 after a member of staff suffered a life-changing injury.
A staff member of The Ealing Butcher and Charcutier in Station Parade sliced off a chunk of their thumb while using a bandsaw, a piece of machinery commonly used in butchery.
On 30 September 2025, at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court, both the owner, Sorin Moncea of Slippers Place, Bermondsey, and the company each pleaded guilty to 4 offences. This included the failure to protect staff from injury risks and dangerous machinery, inadequate training, and a lack of risk assessments.
Moncea and the Ealing Butcher and Charcutier were ordered to pay a combined total of £51,278 in fines and court costs.
Moncea was fined more than £2,000, £3,794 in costs, and a £903 victim surcharge – a total of £7,024. The company was fined £38,460. Along with costs and a victim surcharge, this totalled nearly £45,000.
Safety standards butchered
The injury was first reported to Ealing Council in July 2023 under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR), which require businesses to report serious workplace incidents.
Shortly after, the council’s health and safety team made an unannounced inspection of the business, and multiple breaches of health and safety law were discovered. The bandsaw that caused the injury lacked essential safety features, and staff were not adequately trained to use it. As a result, an immediate prohibition notice was issued, banning use of the machine because of the risk of serious injury.
After multiple delays in attending an interview under caution, Moncea eventually submitted written responses to the council in January 2025.
Protecting workers and the public
Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, the council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: “This case highlights the serious danger posed by bandsaws and similar machinery when not properly maintained or operated. The majority of local businesses operate responsibly and take pride in maintaining clean, safe environments for their staff and customers, but some are still taking huge risks.
“In rare instances where serious safety issues are uncovered, we will act decisively to protect workers and the public. We will make sure that businesses who fail to protect their staff are held accountable.”
Guidance for businesses
To prevent similar incidents, businesses are urged to make sure their staff have thorough training before being allowed to operate machinery. Equipment must have functional safety features and be regularly maintained. Risk assessments should always be in place and there should be clear warning signs displayed near dangerous equipment.
If an accident does happen, it is a legal requirement for businesses to report certain incidents that happen at the workplace. For more information on RIDDOR and how to report workplace incidents, visit the Health and Safety Executive website.
