For twelve years, Alban Watts dedicated himself to his work at Bell Mount Farming Limited, a skilled craftsman known for his abilities as a mechanic, joiner, and carpenter. His life, brimming with potential, ended tragically within the confines of the farm, leaving a void that echoes with unanswered questions and profound grief.
The horror of Alban’s death struck his mother, Noreen, with a force she describes as beyond words. She clings to the hope that his passing was swift, a desperate plea against the agonizing possibility of suffering. The unimaginable pain of outliving her own child has shattered her world, leaving her with a single, unwavering desire: that Alban’s death will not be in vain.
A missing screw, a seemingly insignificant detail, proved to be a fatal flaw. An investigation revealed a critical safety guard on a hen feeding machine was unsecured, its bolt holes stripped and misaligned. The guard, designed to protect workers from the rotating machinery, was rendered useless, a silent testament to a preventable tragedy.
Alban’s brother, Martin, and sister, Louise, grapple with a searing anger. They struggle to comprehend how a life could be valued less than the cost of a 50-pence screw. The loss has irrevocably fractured their family, leaving them incomplete and haunted by the memory of a brother and son stolen too soon.
The machine, designed to automate the feeding of poultry, operated in short bursts throughout the day. For the majority of the time, it stood motionless, a deceptive calm masking the danger lurking beneath its unguarded components. The failure to maintain this simple safety feature created a lethal trap.
The Health and Safety Executive’s investigation laid bare the company’s negligence. Bell Mount Farming Limited had failed to prevent access to dangerous moving parts, a fundamental breach of safety regulations. Their oversight wasn’t a complex issue, but a basic, easily rectifiable fault with devastating consequences.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching safety regulations and was fined, a penalty that feels woefully inadequate to the family. The financial repercussions, however, pale in comparison to the immeasurable loss they endure.
HSE inspector Matthew Shepherd emphasized the tragic simplicity of the failure. An easily fixed problem cost a man his life and shattered a family. He underscored the critical importance of safeguarding machinery and the devastating repercussions of complacency.
Alban’s death serves as a stark and heartbreaking reminder: safety isn’t merely a regulation, it’s a fundamental responsibility. It’s a testament to the enduring need for vigilance, and a plea to ensure that no other family suffers a similar, preventable loss.
