A farm operator has been fined for multiple health and safety violations that put employees and others at risk over the years in an attempt to cut costs.
Seymour Stevens Limited operates beef and arable farms in Faversham, Kent. A site visit conducted in November 2022 identified several significant health and safety deficiencies.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that one of the barns used by employees as a passageway was deemed unsafe to enter due to poor structural condition. Seymour Stevens was aware of this and decided not to repair the shed due to cost, but allowed it to continue to be used. Numerous electrical failures were also confirmed within the cabin.
Another hut had a precariously fixed roof, weighed down with straw bales to keep it from moving. The roof sheets were also in poor condition and in a state of disrepair. In some cases, people may fall from buildings.
The bullpens were broken and rusty, raising concerns as to whether they were suitable to house bulls. During the Christmas period in 2022, a bull escaped from a farm and was returned to the scene by police.
Earlier in the year, the company was invited to take part in a paid 'test preparation' course developed in partnership with industry. They did not take up the offer and missed the opportunity to learn more about their health and safety responsibilities and better manage the risks they faced.
Seymour Stevens Limited pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £12,000 at a hearing at Maidstone Magistrates' Court on 24 April 2024. Ordered to pay costs of £4,830.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Peter Bruce said: “Agriculture makes up just 1 percent of the workforce, but accounts for about 20 percent of workplace fatalities.
“In the Seymour Stevens Farm incident, we failed to manage the health and safety risks associated with animals and falling objects, two of the five most common causes of fatalities in the agricultural sector.
“Even though the employee had warned the company in advance, the employee and the public were at risk.
“It is important that employers maintain their workplaces and equipment to an appropriate standard so as not to put employees, visitors and the public at risk.”
The HSE is focusing on livestock risks as part of this year's Your Farm, Your Future campaign, which is relaunched this week. The campaign includes advice on handling livestock and is hosted on the Your Farm Your Future campaign website to support farmers and workers and keep them safe.
The prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement solicitor John Mack, assisted by HSE paralegal officer Lucy Gallagher.
