Companies are being warned they must carry out site-specific risk assessments and ensure their staff are fully trained in how to use work equipment.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) made the plea to businesses who are involved in cutting grass on sloping land after a worker was crushed when his ride-on mower overturned and trapped him against a safety fence, causing severe injuries.

Wakefield magistrates' court heard how the employee had not received adequate training on how to recognise the potential risks involved with his work.

Alfred McAlpine Government Services pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and regulation 9 (1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

The company was ordered to pay £5,221 in fines and costs.

HSE inspector Andrew Denison believes the firm was responsible for the incident and warned others to take health and safety obligations seriously.

"This was a tragic and entirely avoidable incident in which the worker was lucky to escape with his life. The absence of a suitable and sufficient risk assessment and clear guidance for employees led to a ride-on mower being used on an unsafe slope," he said.

A risk assessment involves companies looking at the dangers present in the workplace and then implementing effective health and safety measures to reduce the chances of harm.

Businesses are being warned to carry out suitable risk assessments of areas they plan to work in after two companies were fined for failing to do so, which left an employee needing round the clock care for the rest of his life.

On October 11th, a worker fell down a concrete staircase while it was being installed, suffering severe head injuries.

Trak Build and Midland Structures, who were contracted to build the industrial units in which the employee was injured, were both ordered to pay the sum of £18,278.92 in costs and damages.

Now the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning other firms to perform thorough risk assessments to prevent further tragedies from occurring.

"This is a very tragic case. The companies involved failed to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of the installation of the concrete stairways on the building site. Had this been done properly this incident should never have happened," HSE inspector Trevor Tollervey said.

A risk assessment involves examining what the potential dangers are within a work place and then taking action to reduce any risk of harm to staff.