By Dave GooderhamFACTORY bosses have defended its safety record after a worker suffered burns in the second horrific accident there in a week.Premier Foods in Bury St Edmunds was criticised by staff after a worker was taken to the town's West Suffolk Hospital on Monday night with burns when a vat of scalding water exploded.

By Dave Gooderham

FACTORY bosses have defended its safety record after a worker suffered burns in the second horrific accident there in a week.

Premier Foods in Bury St Edmunds was criticised by staff after a worker was taken to the town's West Suffolk Hospital on Monday night with burns when a vat of scalding water exploded.

The latest incident came just days after a 28-year-old contractor lost his hand in an industrial accident at the factory.

Although there was no connection between the two incidents, staff at the Branston Pickle factory - which was badly damaged in a ferocious blaze in October - voiced last night their concerns.

One member of staff, who asked not to be named, said: “The company might say their health and safety record is good, but I don't think many workers would agree.”

But bosses at the factory - who said the burns victim had been treated in hospital and was now recovering at home - defended their safety record as “extremely good”.

Brian Carlton, group head of human resources, said: “We can confirm that one of our workers suffered burns to the legs when some water splashed out of a cooking pot during the cleaning down process.

“It did cause some scalding and the man was taken to hospital. We will investigate the incident and see how this could have happened to try to eliminate any scope for error.”

Last week, a construction worker lost his hand in an accident at the site. Firefighters tried to retrieve the man's hand after it fell to the bottom of an eight-metre pipe, but were unable to find it - ending hopes of reattaching the hand in surgery.

Mr Carlton said: “It would be wholly inappropriate to link the two incidents and say that the factory is not well run.

“Our factory in Bury has an extremely good record of health and safety and this is quite evident throughout the factory.

“As with any manufacturing company, we have regular visits from the health and safety inspectorate and I am sure they would support me in saying these incidents are not common place.”

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said it would be investigating both incidents.

dave.gooderham@eadt.co.uk