East Horsley farm fined after dad seriously injured when five hay bales fell on him
A farming partnership in Surrey has been fined more than £30,000 after five hay bales crushed a young dad, seriously injuring him.
Christopher Rolfe, from Horsham, sustained four rib fractures when the bales fell on him at Polesden Lacey Farm in April 2022.
Each bale was estimated to weigh 600 kg and Christopher lay trapped screaming for help until a nearby dog walker heard his cries and called for help. He suffered fractures to his pelvis and ankle, as well as his ribs.
He was then airlifted to hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery before starting months of rehabilitation in order to regain his mobility to start walking again and caring for his then four-year-old son.
Chris who was 26 at the time of the incident has now returned to farming, but is acutely aware that he was extremely lucky.
He said: "I was a stereotypical young man in agriculture. I always thought I’d be fine – as long as I got to drive a quarter of a million pound tractor down the road with everyone looking at me.
“Now that’s the last thing on my mind. I very much look at every piece of machinery in front of me and think how quickly can that thing kill me.
“I was lucky to come away with just a broken hip and leg fractures. I was later told that if I had gone by road to the hospital I would have died."
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the poorly constructed stack of bales had not been stacked on firm, dry, level, freely draining ground. Instead, they were on top of old pallets as the barn floor was uneven and prone to waterlogging.
The bales were placed in vertical columns and were not ‘tied in’ by alternating the layers so the bales overlap and stop the stack from splitting. The company had also failed to identify safe working methods for unstacking bales, keeping the face racked back as bales were removed.
F Conisbee and Sons Ltd, of Ockham Road South, East Horsley, Surrey, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 10 (4) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £36,000 and ordered to pay £4,986 in costs at Staines Magistrates’ Court on 15 May 2024.
HSE inspector Sally Parkes said: “This accident would have been easily avoided if the farm had followed the guidance published by either HSE or the National Farmers Union on the safe stacking of bales. Stacking bales requires skill and should be overseen directly by someone with knowledge of the industry guidance.
“Health and safety is a fundamental requirement of a sustainable farming business yet over the last 10 years, almost one person a week is killed and many more are seriously injured as a result of agricultural work.
“Even with the considerable financial stain on UK farming, prioritising health and safety not only ensures workers are kept safe but also improves well-being and health outcomes alongside supporting productivity and efficiency on farms.”
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