A farming partnership has been fined following an accident at a dairy farm which led to the death of a worker.
The 23-year-old man was helping to inflate a tractor tyre when it suddenly exploded. He was hit by the wheel rim, suffering traumatic head injuries. He was taken to hospital and underwent skull and brain surgeries, but tragically passed away about a month after the accident.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the partnership had failed to properly assess and plan the activity. It had also failed to identify and put in place the measures necessary to control the risks associated with inflating large commercial tyres.
The investigation also found that the risk of an explosion was much higher because the tyre, wheel rim and inner tube were all in a poorly maintained condition. A suitable and sufficient assessment had not been made to determine whether the damaged tyre could be inflated safely.
The partnership pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It was fined £80,000 and ordered to pay costs of £8,605.
After the hearing, an HSE inspector said that the tragic incident could have easily been avoided with the right controls in place.