Farmer ordered to pay £2,800 after employee breaks 18 ribs in serious fall

A partner in a farming company has been ordered to pay over £2,800 after a farm worker fell from a cherry picker resulting in fractures to 18 ribs.

Martin Geoffrey Warkup has been sentenced at Hull and Holderness Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard that the employee suffered fractures to 18 ribs and both wrists as well as internal injuries when he fell approximately 10 metres from a cherry picker at Manor Farm, Barmston, Driffield in July 2016.

The employee who suffered the injury was inspecting a silencer unit attached to the farm’s grain drying facility.

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

Martin Geoffrey Warkup of Manor Farm, Barmston, Driffield, 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 (HSE) inspector Darian Dundas commented: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by planning ahead and putting in place suitable control measures and safe working practices.

“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.”

Last month, a campaign was launched to raise awareness of working at height within the farming industry.

HSE has said farmers can take simple steps to avoid, or manage, risk when carrying out building maintenance.