The family of a 17-year-old boy who was tragically killed on a work placement in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, in 2018 has called for harsher penalties for those who tamper with the safety of heavy machinery.
Neil Graham, a student in engineering, was crushed by a tractor because a safety feature had been disabled prior to the tractor being brought in for repair. This week, the Belfast Crown Court heard that two men and a business were fined a total of £50,000 in relation to the incident.
Neil’s mother Joy Graham told BBC News NI that “no amount of money could ever alleviate” her grief over her son and that he “would be alive today if people had done their jobs properly.” She described him as a “kind, loving, and gentle giant” who had many friends, was not academically gifted, but had discovered his passion in land-based engineering at South West College in Omagh.
Neil was completing a placement at Gordon Brown Agricultural Engineering at the time of the incident. Gordon Brown, the owner of the company, had been collaborating with Neil on repairs to a tractor owned by C and V Loane Ltd. While attempting to locate an oil leak while working underneath the tractor, the teen was fatally crushed by the back right wheel after Brown started the vehicle.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive discovered that a safety feature intended to prevent the vehicle from being started while in gear had been bypassed prior to the vehicle’s repair. Mrs. Graham stated, in reference to the tragedy, that “something must be done, a law must be passed mandating that tractors be inspected” and that “safety features are there for a reason – to protect people – and to remove them is what has occurred.”
Eddie Graham, Neil’s father, stated that the family was still coming to terms with the loss. He stated, “We’ve not only lost our youngest son, but also his future.”
In 2018, Neil Graham, age 17, was tragically killed during a work placement in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh. A Health and Safety Executive investigation determined that a safety feature of the tractor he was working on had been disabled before it was brought in for repair. This week, two men and an organisation were fined a total of £50,000 for their participation in the incident.
Joy and Eddie Graham, the parents of Neil, called for stricter penalties for those who tamper with tractor safety features, citing their son’s tragic death. Neil was described as a “kind, loving, and gentle giant” at South West College in Omagh, where he discovered his passion for land-based engineering. Mrs. Graham believes that her son would still be alive if safety features had not been compromised.
Mr. Graham stated that the family was still adjusting to their loss and that they had lost not only their youngest son but also his future.
The tragedy serves as a crucial reminder that safety features of heavy machinery must always be respected and followed. The Graham family hopes that this incident will result in harsher punishments for those who tamper with such safety features in order to prevent future tragedies of this nature.
