Farmer charged £41,000 for ‘avoidable’ hay bale accident

An “easily avoidable” health and safety breach, which resulted in a young farmworker getting seriously injured, has cost a Surrey farming partnership nearly £41,000 in a court fine and costs.

Christopher Rolfe worked for F Conisbee and Sons Ltd, East Horsley, when he was crushed by hay bales, fracturing his pelvis, ankle and four ribs.

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A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the bales had been stacked incorrectly on an unsuitable surface.

A magistrates hearing in Staines, Middlesex, on 15 May, heard that they were sitting on pallets to raise them off a damp floor.

When Mr Rolfe removed the pallets, five bales toppled over and pinned him to the floor.

A dog walker responded to cries for help and alerted the emergency services.

Mr Rolfe was airlifted to hospital for emergency surgery and, after months of rehabilitation, he is now back working in farming.

F Conisbee and Sons pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 10 (4) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, was fined £36,000 and ordered to pay £4,986 in costs.

HSE said the bales were not “tied in”, were uneven and prone to waterlogging.

The company had also failed to identify safe working methods for unstacking bales, keeping the face racked back as bales were removed.

HSE inspector Sally Parkes said the accident would have been easily avoided if the farm had followed safe stacking guidance.

“Stacking bales requires skill and should be overseen directly by someone with knowledge of the industry guidance,” she said.