February 12th 2025.
Joshua Hardman has been remembered as more than just a fantastic father, but also a loving, caring, and kind person. His family fondly remembers him as someone with a heart of gold, who always put others before himself. Tragically, Joshua's life was cut short when he died in a farm accident involving a tractor tyre explosion.
The incident occurred on May 7, 2021, while Joshua, 23, was working as a farm hand in Grange Lane, Hutton. He was helping one of the partners in the business, Bill Hesketh, with re-seating and inflating a large tractor tyre. However, as Mr. Hesketh was inflating the inner tube within the tyre, it exploded and sent the wheel rim flying towards Joshua, causing him to suffer traumatic head injuries.
Despite being rushed to the hospital and undergoing skull and brain surgeries, Joshua's condition continued to deteriorate. Sadly, he passed away on June 11, 2021, leaving behind his five-year-old daughter, Bonneigh. His family is heartbroken that he will never get to fulfill his potential as a father and that his daughter will miss out on his love and affection.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the business where Joshua was working, W Hesketh and Sons, had failed to properly assess and plan the work involved in inflating large commercial tyres. They also did not have the necessary measures in place to control the risks associated with the task. The HSE also discovered that the tyre, wheel rim, and inner tube involved in the accident were all in a poorly maintained condition, significantly increasing the risk of an explosion.
It was revealed that a suitable and sufficient risk assessment had not been conducted to determine if the damaged parts were safe to be inflated. As a result, W Hesketh and Sons pleaded guilty to breaching regulations of the Health and Safety At Work Act 1974. They were fined £80,000 and ordered to pay £8,605 in costs at a hearing at Preston Magistrates Court on February 4, 2025.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Anthony Banks expressed his condolences to Joshua's family and emphasized the importance of employers properly assessing and controlling risks when undertaking tasks like inflating large commercial tyres. He also urged all employers to prioritize the safety of their employees and ensure that appropriate measures are in place to prevent tragic incidents like this from happening in the future.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
