A Cheshire farmer has been fined £16,000 following the tragic death of a man who fell from a forklift truck while repairing a roof at a packing shed.

Denis Thornhill and his company, D.S. Thornhill (Rushton) Ltd, were fined after 64-year-old roofer Mark Young died at Moss Hall Farm, near Tarporley, on 1 February 2021.

Earlier this year, both Mr Thornhill and his firm were found guilty of breaching health and safety regulations after a six-week trial at Chester Crown Court. Although the 78-year-old was cleared of gross negligence manslaughter, he returned to court on 11 October 2024 for sentencing.

During the trial, it emerged that on 29 January 2021, Mr Young had been hired to repair a roof panel and fix a blocked gutter. However, while walking on the roof, he damaged another panel, leading to further repairs.

Three days later, Mr Young returned with his son to complete the job and requested to be raised up to the roof. Mr Thornhill brought a forklift truck with a potato box balanced on the forks, using it to lift Mr Young about 16 feet. While his son worked on the roof, Mr Young shifted in the potato box, causing it to overbalance. He fell, sustaining severe head injuries, and despite paramedics' efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Ian Betley described the incident as 'tragic and entirely avoidable'. He noted that the equipment used was inappropriate for the task. "The forklift truck and potato box were never a suitable platform for working at height. A tower scaffold, scissor lift, or cherry picker should have been used instead," Betley said.

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A joint investigation by Cheshire Constabulary and the HSE revealed that no safe system for working at height was in place on the day of the accident. The potato box lacked the necessary safety features and had not been secured properly. The forklift had also not undergone the required inspections and was unsuitable for lifting people, and Mr Thornhill lacked formal training in its operation.

Following the accident, enforcement action was taken, with a Prohibition Notice served to halt further work until a safe system was established. Mr Betley concluded, “Every company has a legal duty to ensure the safety of workers. Had that been done in this case, Mark’s life would have been spared.”

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