Farmers fined £50,000 over worker’s digger death

A Devon farming partnership has been fined more than £50,000 after a worker was crushed to death by a digger.

Richard Doble, 63, was working at Dipford Farm, in Shillingford, Tiverton, owned by MJ and CEH Arthur, when he was crushed between the rear bucket of the digger and a stone wall.

Plymouth Magistrates’ Court heard how the incident, on 15 May, 2015, happened when Mr Arthur was attempting to “hotwire” the vehicle in an attempt to start it.

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There was an ongoing problem with the ignition on the digger and in order to start it, it had to be turned on in the cab, the bonnet opened, and the engine hotwired with a piece of wire.

Mr Doble had turned the ignition on from the cab then, unknown to his colleague, had got out and gone around the other side. The vehicle moved suddenly he was crushed between the rear bucket of the vehicle and the wall.

Paramedics were called to the scene and Mr Doble was taken to hospital in an ambulance. However, he died from crush injuries the following day.

Mr Doble had been working alongside one of the Arthur family members to move an oil drum on the farm when the accident happened.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the digger had a number of serious defects but there was no evidence of planned maintenance or the regular repair of defects.

There was also no evidence of risk assessment or safe systems of work on the farm.

Mr Doble had worked on the farm for 35 years and was regarded as the digger driver, although there was no evidence of any formal training.

A number of other vehicles and equipment on the farm were also found to have defects, indicative of poor maintenance over a period of time.

Safety breaches

MJ and CEH Arthur of Dipford Farm, Shillingford pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations. The partnership was fined £53,334 and ordered to pay court costs of £13,871.50.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Emma O’Hara said the case highlighted the importance of regular, proactive maintenance and inspection of work equipment.

She added: “MJ and CEH Arthur failed to effectively maintain their equipment and this led to the tragic death of Mr Doble.

“This incident could so easily have been avoided had the dutyholder simply carried out maintenance of the vehicles in use on the farm to ensure that they were safe to use.”