A FARMWORKER was killed at work because his employers had failed to take safety into account.
Edward Pybus, 21, from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, was electrocuted as he worked on a combine harvester in a Wiltshire field nearly four years ago.
Yesterday, farming company Velcourt Ltd was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay a further £45,000 in costs after admitting a breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Velcourt, based in Herefordshire, was responsible for recruiting casual workers and managing health and safety on the site at Chute Farm, near Ludgershall.
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Mr Pybus was driving a combine harvester when the accident happened.
While it was cropping, it picked up stones and soil so he stopped the machine to remove them.
However, he was unaware the grain discharge spout was touching an 11,000-volt overhead line – and as he stepped down he received a fatal electric shock.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that Velcourt failed to adequately inspect, monitor, supervise or audit health and safety management at the farm.
They also found there had been a near-miss the previous year when the same combine touched a wire – though this was not reported to managers at the time.
Prosecutor Rupert Lowe told Salisbury Crown Court: “The system was far below the standard which should be expected from an employer in their position – the danger was very high.”
David Travers QC, in mitigation for the firm, said: “We accept that things could have been done differently and should have been done better and these improvements have been made.”
Fining the company, Judge Andrew Barnett said information about the dangers of power lines was freely available and should have been highlighted to the inexperienced combine driver.
Following the hearing, Mr Pybus’ mother, Rachel, said: “It is our hope this judgement will prompt the agricultural industry as a whole to improve working practices and endeavour to make farming safer.
“Edward was a wonderful young man, funny, vibrant, on the brink of his adult life with so many plans, hopes and dreams.
“He was to start a new job after the harvest and was hoping to set up home with his girlfriend. None of us can really believe he is gone.”
