A FOOD company director’s attitude towards health and safety has been described as ‘cavalier’ in court after letting his staff use a dangerous machine without adequate safety guards.

Driss Bouzzid, a director of Driss Foods Ltd trading as Jo Jo’s in Burnley Rd East in Waterfoot appeared at Burnley magistrates court on Friday.

The 55-year-old, of Waverley Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to two charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

The court heard that an inspection at the premises last March found that an employee was using the equipment without the adequate guards in place.

Bouzzid was advised about the issue however, when council officers returned the following evening it was still being used without a guard.

Officers had previously warned the director about the machine over a number visits over several years the court heard.

He was fined £830 for the allowing a pizza dough rolling machine to be used without a guard on March 28 and fined £1,000 for the same offence on March 29.

He was also ordered to pay a £100 victim surcharge.

The company was also fined £8,000 for the first offence and £10,000 for the second with a charge of £890 costs and a £170 victim surcharge.

An assistant district judge presiding over the case described Bouzzid’s attitude towards health and safety as ‘cavalier’ and stated that he was ‘highly culpable for the offences’.

Cllr Jackie Oakes, Portfolio Holder for Environmental Health said: “As we have shown in recent weeks the council are always prepared to safe guard people in the work place.

“Employers who ignore the most basic safety requirements for their staff should be thoroughly ashamed of their behaviour.

“We will not allow directors to hide behind the façade of a limited company when they are culpable for the commission of the offences.”