FAI finds employer not responsible for farm work death

A Fatal Accident Inquiry into the death of a farm worker found dead in a field has cleared his employer of any fault or negligence.

Graeme Riddick, 49, was found dead in a field at Cuil Farm in Castle Douglas on Wednesday 23 December 2009.

Sheriff Livingston found that Mr Riddick died from a crush wound to the chest, and that a bull was the most likely cause of the injury. He also found that a reasonable precaution, which would have prevented the death, was for Mr Riddick not to have entered the field on a tractor or some other form of equipment which would protect him against aggressive livestock. The Sheriff commented that ‘Mr Riddick did this contrary to instructions from the farm owners and his own experience.’

Mr Riddick was in the field at the time of his death as part of a feeding operation. However, the Sheriff noted that this was normally done with a tractor. The Sheriff said, ‘In the circumstances I can only speculate as to why Mr Riddick went on foot into the field with the livestock. It was clear from the evidence that he had both been told by the farm and was aware from his own farming experience of the dangers.’

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