Case shows importance of safe working practices

Farmers and crofters have been reminded to put safe working practices in place for all their staff following an incident on a farm south of the border.

Martin Geoffrey Warkup, a partner in a farming company in the north-west of England, was sentenced after a worker fell from a cherry picker.

Hull and Holderness Magistrates’ Court heard the employee suffered fractures to 18 ribs and both wrists, as well as internal injuries, in the incident at Manor Farm, Barmston, Driffield, in July 2016.

The employee suffered the injuries when he fell about 10 metres from a cherry picker when inspecting a silencer unit attached to the farm’s grain drying unit.

Mr Warkup was the only partner in the firm with knowledge of this work but failed to properly plan and supervise the activity.

He pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £1,600 with £1,216.10 costs.

After the hearing, Health and Safety Executive inspector Darian Dundas reminded farmers and farm managers that it was their responsibility to ensure their staff were working safely.

“This incident could so easily have been avoided by planning ahead and putting in place suitable control measures and safe working practices,” said Mr Dundas.

“Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working and to provide the necessary information, instruction and training to their workers in the safe system of work.”