The farm owner was prosecuted under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 for failing to ensure the health and safety of both the lorry driver any his own employees, and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1992 for the lack of adequate training. He was fined a total of £20,000 plus costs of £1891.
Advice
This tragedy shows the importance of preventive maintenance in avoiding injuries. A proper maintenance system would have identified the defective SWLI and obscured safety information. As well as making the machine safe, driver training is a critical component of a safe system. With the right information and training, the driver would have known the capacity of his machine and that the safety device didn't work. Two simple mistakes that cost a man his legs - could it happen to you?