Grounds Maintenance Company Fined After Fatal Incident With Ride On Lawnmower

Brief Summary

A grounds maintenance company was fined after an employee died when a ride on lawnmower descended a steep incline into a village pond. HSE found the employer did not complete a suitable and sufficient site specific risk assessment, and the mower lacked its safety critical roll over protection.

What Was The Incident?

On 8 October 2021, a 23 year old employee was cutting grass around a village pond in North Stainley near Ripon. The ride on mower descended a steep incline and ended up in the pond, resulting in his death. The mower was being used without a roll over protection system fitted.

What Was The Outcome?

The company, MHS Countryside Management Limited, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It was fined £27,000 and ordered to pay £11,166 in costs at York Magistrates' Court on 17 February 2026.

What Lessons Can Be Learnt?

Complete a suitable and sufficient site specific risk assessment. Before starting work, assess the specific hazards of the location, including slopes and proximity to water, and set out the controls needed for that site and those conditions.

Verify safety critical equipment is fitted and in place. Do not allow work to proceed without necessary safety features. In this case, the roll over protection system had been removed before the work.

Ensure work planning matches the terrain. Ride on machinery must be appropriate for uneven or sloping ground. Equipment choice and configuration should be based on the site risks, not assumed to be acceptable because the task is routine.

Control the risk before the task starts. Risk assessment is not a paperwork exercise. It must drive actions to eliminate hazards or properly control risks, including checking that safety measures are actually in place.

Maintain robust processes to prevent unsafe alterations. This incident involved removal of a safety critical protection system. Employers should ensure there are effective arrangements to prevent or detect removal of safety features and to confirm readiness for use.

HSE Prosecution Link