Farm company fined over worker fall
07/07/2010
A farm company in East Riding has been fined £3,000 over an incident in which a worker fell 3m from an unsafe grain bucket.
The worker, who did not wish to be named, was cleaning guttering on a farm building at Bainton Heights Farm in May 2008 when the accident occurred.
The 57-year old had been using a ladder to carry out most of the work, but decided to switch to a telehandler so he could reach a section of the guttering that was difficult to access.
A colleague operating the telehandler attached the bucket to it for the worker to stand in.
But as he was being lifted up, the bucket slipped and the worker fell to the concrete below.
He sustained injuries to his right leg, including breaking and dislocating an ankle, fracturing his shin and partially fracturing his heel. He spent more than a month in hospital.
Following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), it was found that R J Baker & Co Ltd, who the man worked for, was guilty of breaching safety at height regulations.
The HSE said the guardrail fitted to the front of the bucket was effectively useless, allowing the worker to slip through an open space.
As well as the fine, R J Baker & Co was told to pay £3,000 costs.
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