Farming company is fined £320,000 after father, 64, was killed falling from a skip - as his devastated wife pays tribute to her 'soul mate'

  • Frank Schlachter suffered fatal head injuries at the farm in Burscough
  • Fell off a skip after a container slipped off a truck and knocked him to the ground

A farming company has been fined after one of their employees died while trying to operate dangerous machinery at their site.

Frank Schlachter, from Southport, suffered fatal head injuries at the farm where he worked in Burscough.

The 64-year-old was tipping food waste into a skip he was standing on from a faulty container attached to a food waste truck, when the container slipped off and knocked him to the ground.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that M.A.Forshaw Limited, which operates the farm where Frank died, had not fully assessed the risks involved in his daily task.

Mr Schlachter’s wife Linda paid tribute to her dead husband, saying: ‘I have lost my soul mate. He was a gentleman through and through, who will live on in our hearts and memories forever.’

farming company is fined £320,000 after father, 64, was killed falling from a skip - as his devastated wife pays tribute to her 'soul mate'

Frank Schlachter, from Southport, suffered fatal head injuries at the farm (pictured) where he worked in Burscough

The container that killed Mr Schlachter could not be securely attached to the truck, which was known to detach from the vehicle during the procedure.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that if the company had followed health and safety regulations, the dangers on the food truck would have been identified

Linda added: ‘It is the little things in life that you take for granted, which are greatly cherished now he’s gone and they mean the absolute world.

‘Frank was my rock. He was kind, dependable and always put his family first. Since his passing, I have had a fair share of trials and tribulations to encounter and these have been a great challenge without the support of a beloved husband.

‘We have all suffered the loss and it will be embedded in our bones forever. No man should go to work and never return home after a day of hard work.’.

M.A.Forshaw Limited also failed to maintain equipment in safe working order and to properly instruct staff in safe working practices.

The company pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 2 of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £320,000 and ordered to pay £4,574 costs at a hearing at Wirral Magistrates’ Court on February 1, 2024.

Health and Safety Executive inspector Lianne Farrington said: ‘This wholly avoidable tragic incident led to the death of a much loved husband, dad and grandad.

It was caused by the failure of the company to implement safe systems of work, properly maintain work equipment, and sufficiently assess the risks involved in routine work processes.

‘If suitable work practices had been in place prior to the incident, Frank’s death could have been prevented.

‘At HSE, we always stress the need for employers to risk assess tasks by speaking to the employees who undertake the work, and to ensure that work equipment is safe and suitable to use.’

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