Prominent Cider Manufacturer Penalised Following Death
On November 30, 2023, a cider manufacturer faced a fine in the wake of a beloved grandfather's death on his 65th birthday.
Tommy Manns, from Dymock, Gloucestershire, met with a fatal accident while driving for H Weston and Sons Limited, the producer of Henry Westons Cider, when a security barrier pierced through his vehicle's windscreen on September 28, 2020.
H Weston and Sons Limited were fined £1.4 million on Thursday following prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Faulty Barrier
The incident occurred as Tommy was leaving the company's site at Bounds Farm, March Marcle, Ledbury. The HSE investigation revealed that the barrier, installed a month before the tragedy, lacked a proper risk assessment, and the company failed to establish a safe system of work for securing the barrier when in operation.
Tommy, survived by two children and three grandchildren, served as a farm manager at H Weston and Sons Limited since 2008. His wife, Rose Manns, expressed her ongoing shock and emotional distress, noting the impact on her confidence and daily life since the accident.
Grieving Family
The incident occurred as Tommy was leaving the company's site at Bounds Farm, March Marcle, Ledbury. The HSE investigation revealed that the barrier, installed a month before the tragedy, lacked a proper risk assessment, and the company failed to establish a safe system of work for securing the barrier when in operation.
Tommy’s wife Rose Manns said: “I am still in shock following the death of my husband. I’ve never been an emotional person, but since the accident I am nervous and reliving the accident all the time. In the beginning, I couldn’t even drive because my husband was driving at the time of his accident and I couldn’t face driving again for a long time. I’ve always been a people person and now I have no confidence. People stop and ask me how I feel and how I am. I don’t feel confident to talk to people about what happened and people don’t know what to say to me."
“Tommy loved his grandchildren so much. He spoke to the two grandkids who were four and six on the day of his death. They rang to sing happy birthday to him in the morning. He never got the chance to open his birthday cards. We had put a deposit down on a motorhome. My son had to ring the company a couple of days after Tommy died to cancel the order. Tommy has left a great legacy. He was so loved, he was my rock, my soulmate.”
Tommy, survived by two children and three grandchildren, served as a farm manager at H Weston and Sons Limited since 2008.