MHS Countryside Management Limited fined £27,000 after an employee drowned when a mower entered a pond

Bishop Auckland, County Durham · York Magistrates' Court

What happened

An employee was operating a ride-on lawnmower near a village pond when it descended a steep incline and entered the water. The machine's roll-over protection system had been removed and no suitable site-specific risk assessment had been carried out.

Injuries: Fatal.

The breach

Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

The sentence

Fine: £27,000
Costs: £11,166

HSE inspector

“This is a profoundly tragic case which is made all the more harrowing because the safety feature had been removed from the lawnmower.”

What would have prevented it

Roll-over protection systems must never be removed from ride-on machinery, and ground conditions near slopes and water need a specific risk assessment.

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Source: HSE press release, Grounds maintenance company fined after employee killed operating ride-on lawnmower