Cirencester Town Council has been fined £12,000 and ordered to pay £17,000 costs after an employee fell off a lawnmower fracturing his ribs and caused him to miss two months of work.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that he was not given an appropriate lawnmower or guidance to cut the outside slope at Cirencester Amphitheatre on September 4, 2012.

Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court heard  that the grass was around two feet high, making it difficult to see the ground conditions, which were uneven with potholes.

A HSE spokesman said: “The slope being mown was 64 degrees, and the mower in operation was not suitable for slopes in excess of 25 degrees. However, the worker had no means of judging the severity of the slope because it did not have an inclinometer.”

Cirencester Town Council pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act.

HSE Inspector, Alison Fry, speaking after the hearing, said: “The worker could have easily been killed, having been put at unnecessary risk because there were several other ways this work could have been carried out safely.

“It was an entirely avoidable incident, and I hope it serves to remind employers to take all site conditions into account, including slopes, before choosing equipment to cut grass.

“Employers need to carry out risk assessments to decide how to carry out a job safely. They then need to provide adequate training, information and instructions.”