Kamil Grygieniec, 23, was cutting grass around a village pond in North Stainley, Yorkshire, when the ride-on mower descended a steep incline into the water after its safety system had been removed
A grounds maintenance firm has been hit with a fine following the death of a worker who was using a ride-on lawnmower in Yorkshire.
Kamil Grygieniec, 23, from Northallerton, was mowing grass near a village pond in North Stainley when the ride-on mower he was controlling went down a sharp slope and plunged into the water. At the time of the fatal incident on October 8, 2021, the mower was being operated without a crucial roll-over protection system (ROPS) in place.
A probe by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) discovered that MHS Countryside Management Limited had neglected to conduct an adequate site-specific risk assessment for the task being carried out. The investigation also revealed the mower’s roll-over protection system (ROPS) had been taken off at some stage before the work commenced. ROPS are intended to safeguard operators should a machine overturn and represent a vital safety component when working on irregular or inclined terrain.
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Proper risk assessment is vital when using ride-on machinery, especially on gradients or close to water, according to the HSE. Employers have a duty to ensure equipment suits the landscape and is equipped with essential safety mechanisms to protect workers.
MHS Countryside Management Limited, based in Bishop Auckland, admitted breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. At York Magistrates’ Court on 17 February, the firm was handed a £27,000 fine and ordered to cover £11,166 in costs.
In a statement, Kamil’s mum and dad said: “The pain I feel every day since that tragedy is unimaginable, I do not wish that on anybody. That day I lost part of me. I will never be able to hug him, tell him how much I love him. I will never receive flowers from him, will never meet his wife or his children. Kamil was my physical and mental support.
“That day was his last day at that workplace and it happened to be the last day of his short life. I don’t know what life holds for the future for me, but what I am certain of is it will not be as full or as happy now that Kamil has gone from our lives. What makes it even worse, I believe his death could have been prevented and should never have happened.”
Following the hearing, HSE Inspector Darian Dundas commented: “This is a profoundly tragic case which is made all the more harrowing because the safety feature designed to prevent incidents like this had been removed from the lawnmower – leading to the fatal turn of events which has robbed a family of their loved one.
“The completion of a suitable and sufficient site-specific risk assessment is vital before undertaking work activities and ensures appropriate action can be taken to eliminate hazards or, where this is not possible, to properly control the risks. In this case, the failure to assess the risks and ensure suitable safety measures were in place resulted in a tragic and entirely avoidable loss of life.”
