Council fined after ride on mower incident
Jan 1, 2010
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning that care needs to be taken when using ride-on mowing machines following a court prosecution of an employer.
On 21 May 2008 a council employee fell from a ride-on mower onto a park bench, breaking two ribs and suffering a compressed lung. He was forced to stay off work for 11 weeks and HSE have successfully prosecuted his employer, Cheltenham Borough Council.
As a result, the council was fined a total of £14,000, plus £3,000 compensation to the injured person, and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £18,530.31 by Cheltenham Magistrates.
The magistrates heard that the council failed to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for cutting the grass with the ride-on mower. The slope that the employee was working on was too steep for the machine he was using, according to manufacturer’s guidelines. The employee had also not received enough information or instruction and there had been previous incidents that should have made the council take action to improve safety while using ride-on mowers.
To avoid potential accidents and fines caravan parks should carry out risk assessments on the use of such ride-on mowers and ensure that employees are adequately trained in their use. For more information and advice contact Mark Dalton on 01422 358525 or send us an email enquiry.
