£3,000 fine for horror injuries in farm fall

The long-standing employee was trying to clear guttering when the accident happened at Bainton Heights Farm, Bainton, in May 2008.

The 57-year-old had been raised in a bucket by a telehandler (a telesopic arm fitted with a forklift) operated by a colleague who inadvertently tilted the bucket downwards.

The man fell three metres (10ft) onto concrete, landing on his right leg and breaking and dislocating an ankle. His shin was also broken and his heel partially fractured. The employee, who was not named, spent a month in hospital.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted RJ Baker & Co Ltd, after finding that a guardrail fitted to the front of the bucket was "effectively useless".

The telehandler and bucket should never have been used as a lifting platform.

HSE inspector Carol Downes said: "This farm worker suffered horrific injuries following his fall at Bainton Heights Farm. He was extremely lucky to survive the fall, and if he had landed head-first he could easily have been killed.

"HSE strongly warns farmers and others against using telehandlers in this way. They, or attachments like grain buckets, are not designed to lift people, and in misusing the equipment employers are risking death or serious injury.

"This prosecution must serve as a strong reminder that farm machinery should only be used for its intended purpose."

RJ Baker & Co Ltd, of Bainton Heights Farm, Bainton, pleaded guilty to breaching the Work at Height Regulations 2005 at Bridlington Magistrates Court.

In addition to a 3,000 fine, the company was also ordered to pay 3,000 in costs.