Fatal injury to Manager who was not trained to use a chainsaw

Golf course manager fatally claimed competence with chainsaw

It has been reported in IOSH magazine that a golf course manager who had claimed he was competent in the use of a chainsaw, was fatally injured, working alone and at night following a storm in 2013, clearing a large branch of a tree which had blown down.  The branch was lying across other trees in an unstable position.

The not for profit golf club had relied on a statement by the deceased on his application for work that he was competent in chainsaw use.  IOSH stated:-

“An environmental health officer from Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council investigated the accident and found Johnstone was not trained to operate a chainsaw, that he was not wearing a safety helmet and had been working alone at night.

According to the specialist magazine Golf Punk, the club believed Johnstone was qualified to use the saw based on information he had provided in his job application. Judge Martin Hurst reportedly criticised the club for failing to carry out pre-employment checks with the worker’s two referees at Wentworth and Pinner golf courses.” 

All too often new employers simply accept what they are told by their employee about their pre-employment knowledge, experience and training.  Clearly this is not sufficient to demonstrate compliance with the relevant legislation and, in this case, lead to the untimely death of the untrained employee.

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Read the IOSH article here