ROPS removing proves deadly

Kamil Grygieniec, elderly 23 and from Northallerton, used to be slicing grass round a village pond in North Stainley, close to Ripon, on 8^th October 2021 when the ride-on mower he used to be working descended a steep incline and ended up in it.

The mower used to be getting used with no safety-critical roll-over coverage gadget (ROPS) fitted.

An investigation through the Well being & Protection Government (HSE) discovered that the mower’s roll-over coverage gadget (ROPS) had in fact been got rid of sooner or later previous to the paintings going down. ROPS are designed to offer protection to operators within the match of a system overturning and are regarded as to be a serious security function when operating on asymmetric or sloping flooring.

The HSE established that the upkeep contractor had failed to hold out an acceptable and enough site-specific possibility evaluation for the paintings being undertaken.

MHS Geographical region Control Restricted, of Bishop Auckland, pleaded to blame to breaching Phase 2(1) of the Well being and Protection at Paintings and so forth. Act 1974. It used to be fined £27,000 and ordered to pay £11,166 in prices at York Magistrates’ Courtroom at the 17^th February 2026.

HSE inspector Darian Dundas stated after the listening to: “This can be a profoundly tragic case which is made the entire extra harrowing since the security function designed to forestall incidents like this were got rid of from the lawnmower – resulting in the deadly flip of occasions which has robbed a circle of relatives in their cherished one.

“The finishing touch of an acceptable and enough site-specific possibility evaluation is necessary sooner than enterprise paintings actions and guarantees suitable motion will also be taken to get rid of hazards or, the place this isn’t imaginable, to correctly keep watch over the dangers.

“On this case, the failure to evaluate the dangers and make sure appropriate security measures have been in position led to a sad and fully avoidable lack of lifestyles.”

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