A CONSTRUCTION company has been fined £50,000 after a teenager on work experience was seriously injured in a tractor accident.

Earlcoate Construction & Plant Hire Limited had “failed to adequately protect” 16-year-old Tom Cutler from harm, an investigation has revealed.

Tom had been gaining experience of vehicle repair work with the company at Folds Farm in the New Forest, ahead of his plans to start a vehicle maintenance course at Sparsholt College.

On August 3, 2021, the teenager, from the New Forest, was driving a tractor down an incline when it came off the track and overturned.

The tractor did not have a seat belt fitted and Tom was thrown out of his seat.

His upper leg got trapped under the roof of the tractor, but he was fortunately spotted by passers-by who were able to call for assistance.

Emergency services attended and he was taken to hospital for treatment.

Tom’s dad, David Cutler, said: “Tom acted quickly and used his belt as a tourniquet to stem bleeding; he punched out the cab window to check his leg and managed to break off a wing mirror to enable him to turn off the tractor and prevent a fire from fuel that was escaping.”

David said his son’s life had been changed forever by the incident, adding: “He spent a month in hospital and has undergone seven different operations but can’t do the things he used to do.

"He was a keen mountain biker and cricket player but that has all stopped.

“He doesn’t sleep properly and is more anxious; he had to put his education on hold for a year and we as a whole family have found it extremely tough.”

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Earlcoate Construction & Plant Hire Limited had “failed to adequately protect Tom through a failure of supervision, and by not providing adequate information, instruction, and training to him”.

At Southampton Magistrates’ Court on October 16, Earlcoate Construction & Plant Hire Limited pleaded guilty to breaching a health and safety regulation.

The company was ordered to pay a fine of £50,000 and costs of £9,223.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Nicola Pinckney said: “The incident could so easily have been avoided by understanding the risks involved with employing young people.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”