Young father crushed to death by bales of hay in horrific incident

A young father is lucky to be alive after being crushed by five bales of hay weighing 600kg each.

Christopher Rolfe, from Horsham, says he was “lucky to escape with only a broken hip and broken legs” after the horrific incident in April 2022.

Christopher, then 26, had gone into a barn at Polesden Lacey Farm in Surrey to collect bales to be delivered to customers.

The bales were stored on a layer of pallets to keep them away from the then-damp barn floor, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said.

As he removed the pallets to reach the stack of bales, an entire column of five pallets toppled over, pinning him to the ground.

Christopher lay trapped and screamed for help until a dog owner standing nearby heard his cries and alerted the emergency services.

He was flown to the hospital (Image: SWNS)

He was flown to hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

He suffered fractures to his pelvis and ankle as well as four ribs.

Christopher had to undergo months of rehabilitation to regain his mobility.

A HSE investigation was subsequently launched and last week at Staines Magistrates’ Court, farming partnership F Conisbee and Sons Ltd was fined £36,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,986.

The company, based in Ockham Road South, East Horsley, Surrey, had pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 10(4) of the Health and Safety at Work Regulations 2005.

Speaking after the verdict, Christopher said: “I was lucky that I only escaped with a broken hip and broken legs. I was later told that if I had been on the way to the hospital I would have died.

Chris in front of St. George’s Hospital (Image: SWNS)

“But back then I didn’t even want to go to the hospital. The worst thing that went through my mind at the time was that I had just ruined my summer.

“After speaking to the staff at Kent Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance, I realised how important they are. When I needed them, they were there.

“My son, who is now seven, is even a young ambassador for them. So something really good came out of a really bad situation.”

“My attitude to what happened is that I can’t change it, but I have to deal with what I have.”

Read more: Video shows emergency room patients crammed into hallways while pensioner spends 52 hours on trolley

Christopher has now resumed his career as a farmer.

Christopher Rolfe with his family (Image: SWNS)

The HSE investigation found that the poorly constructed bale stack was not stacked on solid, dry, level ground with free drainage, but instead was stacked on old pallets as the stable floor was uneven and prone to waterlogging.

The bales were arranged in vertical columns rather than “tied” together by alternating layers, so that the bales overlapped and prevented the stack from bursting, it was said.

The company had also failed to identify safe working practices for unstacking the bales.

The wrongly stacked hay bales (Image: SWNS)

HSE guidance states that the bottom of a stack should provide a dry, stable base for any additional bales.

All bales should be “tied” and the pile should be monitored to ensure it remains stable.

HSE inspector Sally Parkes said: “This accident could easily have been avoided if the farm had followed the guidance published by HSE or the National Farmers Union on safe bale stacking.”

“Bale stacking requires skill and should be directly supervised by someone knowledgeable about industry guidelines.

“Health and safety is a prerequisite for sustainable farming, but over the past decade almost one person has died and many more have been seriously injured every week during agricultural work.

“Despite the significant financial burden on UK agriculture, prioritizing health and safety not only keeps workers safe, but also improves wellbeing and health outcomes while supporting productivity and efficiency across farms.”