Turfgrass Services International Ltd has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) because of breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, which led to the death of one of its employees, Lee Woodhouse.
Mr Woodhouse had been using a turf harvester but had encountered some technical issues with the operation of the machine. Later in the day, a nearby resident noticed that the machine had stopped against a tree and its wheels were still turning, but the driver was missing.
A co-worker then went to investigate and found Mr Woodhouse lying on the ground. A subsequent HSE investigation found that Mr Woodhouse had been run over by the machine whilst walking alongside it in order to observe or adjust the cut-off mechanism at the front end, which had been causing issues earlier in the day.
The HSE found that a wire link had been put across the terminals of a relay switch, which defeated a number of safety features on the machine, including the cut-off switch attached to the driver's seat. That switch was designed to cut the operation of the machine if the driver was not in the seat.
The company had also failed to to take several key steps including: identifying the risks of using the machines, training operators and supervisors properly, protecting employees from access to dangerous parts of the machines and to make sure the harvesters were maintained safely and checked regularly.
As a result of the prosecution, Turfgrass Services International Ltd were fined £67,000 and ordered to pay £33,000 in costs.
HSE inspector Andrea Jones said, "This was a tragic incident that has had devastating, and life-changing effects, on the whole family, particularly Lee’s wife, two small children and his parents. The incident was entirely preventable.
"Agricultural machines are inherently dangerous and this turf harvesting machine had a number of safety features to protect operators. The seat switch should have stopped the harvesting machinery when the operator leaves the seat. Had the vital seat switch not been disabled, there would have been no reason for Mr Woodhouse to have been observing the cutters at the front of the machine whilst it continued to move forwards in the field."
Ms Jones also added, "It is essential that all employers with machines for use on farms and in the turf-cutting industry put systems in place for checking all safety guarding regularly, and provide training and supervision to make sure machines are not operated with missing or defeated safety functions. All operators must be trained in safe systems of work in relation to making adjustments and clearing blockages in machines."
