HSE issues warning to agriculture after employee loses limb

Posted 25/10/2010

Farms should never sacrifice health and safety in favour of productivity, as a recent case has demonstrated.

This is according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which commented after a man from Whitby lost a leg while cutting forage maize at Skipsters Hagg Farm in Appleton-le-Moors.

Company boss Peter Turnbull was given a fine of £10,000 and ordered to pay a further £1,698 in costs after the farm worker was hurt while trying to clear a blockage in the machinery.

Scarborough Magistrates Court heard that the worker, who asked not to be named, became stuck in the blades of a forage harvester.

The man, who may now be considering a claim for personal injury compensation, had his leg amputated at the scene by paramedics.

Commenting on the case, HSE inspector Charlie Callis said that Mr Turnbull let his employee down by failing to mitigate risks.

“Farmers are under pressure to bring in the crop and time spent shutting down and making safe a machine may, incorrectly, be considered time wasted. Taking unnecessary risks like this is never a sensible option,” he remarked.

Between 40 and 50 farm employees are killed on average in the UK every year, separate HSE statistics show.