A company in East Lothian in Scotland has been prosecuted after a farm worker was crushed to death in a farm building accident.

In June 2008, an employee of Hamilton Farmers (East Lothian) was assisting as a farm worker in the building of a perimeter wall at an open hay shed, when the a pre-cast concrete panel weighing more than one tonne toppled over and fell on him. The farm worker suffered serious crush injuries and died at the scene of the accident.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that there had been no risk assessment carried out for the project – and while the JCB telescopic handler and the slings and hooks provided with the concrete panels were all in good order, no suitable lifting attachment had been fitted to the JCB telehandler forks.

The investigation also revealed that it was ‘inevitable’ that the slings on the forks were

going to slip and slide, as the panels needed to be handled and rotated correctly.

Suspending the concrete panel from lifting slings – supported by the forks – did not allow the panel to rotate freely, as would have been the case had it been supported by another device, such as a crane hook.

On Monday (26/04/10) at Haddington Sheriff Court, The Hamilton Farmers (East Lothian) - based at Garvald Mains Farm, Garvald – pleaded guilty to charges under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £20,000.

Following the case, HSE Inspector Gillian McLean said:

‘Unfortunately, the use of precast concrete panels to build farm buildings is commonplace.

‘It is also commonplace for farmers and workers in the agricultural sector to 'have a go' at building constructions, when they are not properly trained or equipped in structural engineering and health and safety practices.’

‘Tragically, this worker was needlessly crushed to death because his employers failed to properly assess the risks and implement a safe system of work.’

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