A farming firm has been fined £80,000 after a father with a ‘heart of gold’ died when a poorly maintained tractor tyre exploded at one of their dairy farms.
Joshua Hardman, 23, was inflating the inner tube of the large tyre on May 7, 2021, when a catastrophic release of compressed air propelled the wheel rim into him, causing traumatic head injuries.
The incident took place while he was working as a farm hand at Grange Lane – a farm in Hutton, near Preston, run by W. Hesketh and Sons.
Joshua was taken to hospital and underwent skull and brain surgeries, but died on June 11 after a further deterioration in his condition.
In the wake of his death, Joshua’s heartbroken family paid tribute to their ‘amazing’ father, describing him as ‘a very loving, caring, kind and gentle person’.
Following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the tragic incident, W. Hesketh and Sons pleaded guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety At Work Act.
The panel at Preston magistrates court was told that the risk of an explosion was much higher because the tyre, the wheel rim, and the inner tube were all in a poorly maintained condition.
Joshua had been helping one of the partners in the business, Bill Hesketh, to re-seat and inflate the faulty tractor tyre when it exploded, a work activity that the company had failed to properly assess, the court heard.
The farm partnership also failed to implement the measures necessary to control the risks involved when inflating large commercial tyres, the hearing was told.
This meant they did not carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment to determine whether the damaged tyre, inner tube and wheel rim were suitable to be inflated safely.
In a statement read out to the court, Joshua’s family said: ‘Joshua was a very loving, caring, kind and gentle person. He had a heart of gold.
‘He was also an amazing dad, and it is heartbreaking that he will never reach his full potential in that role.
‘His five-year-old daughter will miss out on a great deal of love and affection and the role he would have played in her life.’
In addition to the fine, W. Hesketh and Sons. were ordered to pay £8,605 worth of costs at a hearing at Preston Magistrates Court on February 4, 2025.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Anthony Banks said: ‘This was a tragic incident, and a much-loved young man has lost his life. It could have easily been avoided with the right controls in place.
‘HSE would like to make all employers aware that, before they undertake the inflation of large commercial tyres, they need to have correctly assessed the risk and have in place the suitable controls for the task.’
The prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Gemma Zakrzewski and supported by paralegal officer Rebecca Foreman.