TWO men have been ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work following an investigation into the death of a Ryedale farmer.
Robert Ireland, 71, died in October 2010 afer the roller door on a grain store at his Manor Wold Farm in East Heslerton collapsed on him.
Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday that Mr Ireland’s brother, John, heard a crash and discovered the electrically powered door, weighing nearly half a tonne, had completely fallen from a height of 4.5 metres.
Mr Ireland was pronounced dead on arrival at Scarborough Hospital.
Prosecutor Sam Green said the roller shutter door had been fitted four months earlier by Paul Halliwell’s company Easydoor, but was not installed properly by employee David Whittaker, who had worked with the help of colleague Steven Marriott.
Halliwell, 44, of Marsland Terrace, Stockport, admitted a charge under the Health and Safety at Work Act of failing to ensure the health and safety of persons not employed by him.
He pleaded guilty on the basis he had not provided instruction, particularly a checklist, to Whittaker so adequate tests would be made.
He accepted he had not taken note of a guide from the Door and Hardware Federation.
Whittaker, 40, of Lodge Lane, Hyde, pleaded guilty to failing to discharge the duty to take reasonable care for the health and safety of persons who may be affected by acts or omissions at work.
Mr Green said there was a mismatch of about an inch and a quarter between the length of the barrel around which the shutter was wrapped and the distance between the brackets.
Judge Shaun Spencer QC imposed 12-month community orders, including 200 hours unpaid work, on each defendant.
Each will also have to pay £2,000 costs.
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