Fruit farm 02.11.2005

Two young migrant workers (21 and 27) died after becoming entangled in machinery used on a fruit farm. The task involved the erection and dismantling of ‘poly-tunnels’, which are secured using long ropes. They became entangled while using a tractor-mounted machine to wind up the rope. Risk assessment was lacking, and the tractor-mounted winder was unsuitable, as it did not have an automatic cut off in the event of entanglement. The workers had not been adequately trained, nor made aware of the dangers posed by the task. Investigators drew attention to the fact that many of the workers on the farm were students, who might not have much understanding of safe working practices.