A farm was fined £ 80,000 after a father with a 'heart of gold' died when a poorly maintained tractor band exploded on one of their dairy farms.
Joshua Hardman, 23, raised the inner tube of the large band on 7 May 2021, when a catastrophic release of compressed air propelled the wheel edge into him, which caused traumatic head injury.
The incident took place while working as a farm hand at Grange Lane – a farm in Hutton, near Preston, run by W. Hesketh and Sons.
Joshua was taken to the hospital and underwent skull and brain operations, but died on 11 June after a further decline in his condition.
In the aftermath of his death, Joshua's deeply sad family tributed to their 'amazing' father, who described him as 'a very loving, caring, friendly and soft person'.
After an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the tragic incident, W. Hesketh and Sons are guilty of a violation of the health and safety act.
The hearing at Preston Magistrates Court heard that the risk of an explosion was much higher because the tire, wheel edge and inner tube were all in a poorly maintained condition.
Joshua had helped one of the partners in the company, Bill Hesketh, to defeat and blow up the defective tractor band when it exploded, a work activity that the company could not have assessed properly, the court heard.
Joshua Hardman (depicted with his daughter Bonnneigh) blowed the inner tube of the large band on 7 May 2021, when a catastrophic release of compressed air pushed the wheel edge into him
Joshua was taken to the hospital and underwent skull and brain operations, but died on 11 June after a further decline in his condition
The incident took place while working as a farm hand at Grange Lane (photo) – a farm in Hutton, near Preston, run by W. Hesketh and Sons
The Farm Partnership also failed to implement the measures needed to control the risks when inflating large commercial ties, the hearing was told.
This meant that they did not carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment to determine whether the damaged tire, the inner tube and the wheel edge were suitable for safely inflated.
In a statement read to the court, the Joshua family said: 'Joshua was a very loving, caring, friendly and soft person. He had a heart of gold.
“He was also a great father, and it is heartbreaking that he will never reach his full potential in that role.
“His five -year -old daughter will miss a lot of love and affection and the role he would have played in her life.”
Next to the fine, W. Hesketh and Sons. were on the assignment to pay £ 8,605 in costs on 4 February 2025 during a hearing at Preston Magistrates Court.
After his death, Joshua's deeply sad family tributed to their 'amazing' father and described him as 'a very loving, caring, friendly and soft person'
After the hearing, HSE inspector Anthony Banks said: 'This was a tragic incident and a beloved young man lost his life. It could have been easily avoided with the right controls.
“HSE wants to make all employers aware that before they undertake the inflation of large commercial ties, they must have assessed the risk correctly and have the suitable checks for the task.”
The persecution was established by HSE enforcement lawyer Gemma Zakrzewski and supported by Paralegal Officer Rebecca Foreman.
