A CHEMICAL company and its director have admitted health and safety breaches which resulted in the death of a worker who fell into an industrial blending machine.

At Bolton Crown Court yesterday, Radcliffe-based Building Chemical Research Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees under the Health & Safety At work Act 1974.

Company director Stuart Reich, aged 62, of Neworth Lane, Hesketh Bank, pleaded guilty to a similar charge under the same act.

The prosecution was brought by the Health and Safety Executive following the death of Paul Palmer, who died when he fell into machinery he was cleaning at the works in Mount Sion Road in August 2005.

Mr Palmer, aged 42, of Bolton Road, Radcliffe, was a senior supervisor at the company and one of its longest serving employees. He was cleaning the mixing chamber of the machine while it was switched on and suffered fatal multiple injuries when he fell in.

Sentencing will be announce on September 20.