- Colin Williams died at the scene after being crushed under an All Terrian Vehicle (ATV)
- Neither of the men in the ATV were wearing seatbelts or had received adequate training to safely use the vehicle
Following the death of a farm employee in Monmouthshire after an ATV he was a passenger in overturned, the owner of the farm, Allen Roberts, has been fined £5500.
The ATV was being driven down a hillside at Wyesham, Monmouthshire, when the incident occurred on 25 August 2022. The driver of the ATV lost control of the vehicle and Mr Williams, 58, was ejected from the vehicle which did not have any doors.
He suffered fatal crush injuries and died at the scene.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that neither Colin Williams or the driver of the vehicle had been provided with adequate training and neither of the men were wearing seat belts. The investigation also found that no routine pre-use checks were made on any of the vehicles owned by Allen Roberts that were used on the farm to ensure they were safe to use.
The investigation identified that the tyres of the ATV were improperly inflated, with differing pressures in each tyre, which should have been rectified before the vehicle was used. The vehicle was being driven in a high gear and two-wheel drive when it should have been in a low gear and four-wheel drive. The keys to the ATV were not adequately controlled and were available to anyone who was on the farm, including those not adequately trained.
Colin Williams was the only employee of Hill Farm and he was being assisted by the driver of the ATV in the clearance of vegetation and trees from a farm access route.
HSE guidance states employers must provide employees who use All-Terrain vehicles (ATV’s) with adequate training and instruction on their safe use. Any operators using the ATV owned by Allen Roberts should have received training in the safe method of operating the type of terrain that was present on the farm and should have been instructed to wear seatbelts where there was a foreseeable risk of overturn. There should have been a system for pre-use inspections to be carried out to ensure defects were identified and remedial actions taken before the vehicle was used.
Allen Roberts, of Hill Farm, Monmouth, pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was fined £5500 and ordered to pay £5813 in costs at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates’ Court on 2 September 2026.
HSE Principal Inspector Damian Corbett said the dangers associated with ATVs in agriculture and forestry were well known.
“Anyone operating these machines should have the right training and be wearing seat belts when travelling,” he said.
“This accident was a tragic consequence of a lack of training, and a lack of basic safety precautions which cost a family a husband and a father.
“Employers must ensure that those entrusted to operate vehicles are properly trained and instructed to wear seat belts or safety equipment where there is a risk.”
The prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Julian White and Paralegal Officer Gabrielle O’Sullivan.
Further information
- The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
- More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
- Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
- Relevant guidance can be found here Safe use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in agriculture and forestry – HSE and here Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) – HSE.
- HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so. The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.