Farm fined after young female worker killed in unsafe tractor The company was ordered to pay £80,000 and costs of £40,000 at the court yesterday. Speaking after the hearing, Ms Webb's father, Terry Webb, said: "Our family has been devastated by losing Kim. Inexperienced farm workers, especially young people, must be given proper training and supervision when handling potentially dangerous machinery and not just left to get on with the job. They must also be provided with all the right safety equipment to protect them. My daughter paid for this lack of care with her life. I do not want more families to go through the dreadful experience of losing a loved one needlessly. Employers must take their responsibilities to their workers seriously. The court heard that Ms Webb, from North Cadbury in Somerset, had been checking cattle in several fields on June 26, 2009. Dairy staff regularly used the tractor for their duties at the farm. But an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the vehicle had no rollover protection system to protect the driver. Ms Webb had been given training on the tractor but her supervisor had no formal qualifications. The company also permitted the use of the vehicle on the road and in the yard without a rollbar - despite knowing this breached relevant regulations - or seatbelt. It failed to monitor the use of the tractor or appreciate that it was being used on a sloping field, Bristol Crown Court heard. The firm had previously been prosecuted in 2000 for management failures that led to another tractor-related incident, which was not fatal. Leo Diez, an HSE inspector, said: "Between 40 and 50 workers are killed on British farms every year. That's nearly one person per week, a higher death rate than construction or manufacturing. Simple steps could have avoided a needless fatality. I hope this tragedy highlights the risks of driving tractors without proper protection for drivers.