FARM DEATH COSTS OWNERS OVER £90,000.00
The owners of a very well known farm have been fined £65,000.00 and awarded costs of over £27,000.00 at Gloucester Crown Court following the death of a worker on their organic farm. The Farm Management allowed workers to use the bucket of a telehandler as a working platform on a regular basis, the working practice had become acceptable!
A 57 year old worker was working on the farm near Morten - in - Marsh collecting elder flowers from hedgerows around the farm. He and a colleague were standing in the bucket of the telehandler as it was being driven across the farm. The worker fell backwards out of the bucket and went underneath the telehandlers front wheels. He was crushed and pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation that followed highlighted the fact that the Farm actually owned a suitable platform that could be attached to the telehandler but it was broke and instead of fixing it the Management allowed the deadly practice to take place. It was also discovered that the driver of the telehandler had not been trained to use the equipment.
The farm pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 in that it failed to ensure the health, safety and welfare of an employee.
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