Kamil Grygieniec, 23, was working for a County Durham firm when the lawnmower he was operating ended up in a pond
Felicity Collinson Head of News
08:44, 20 Feb 2026
Kamil Grygieniec (Image: Facebook)
A grounds maintenance firm has been fined after a worker died while operating a ride-on lawnmower. Kamil Grygieniec, 23, from Northallerton, was mowing grass around a village pond in North Stainley when the ride-on mower he was using descended a steep slope and ended up in the water.
The mower was being operated without a fitted safety-critical roll-over protection system (ROPS) at the time of the incident on October 8, 2021. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) discovered that MHS Countryside Management Limited had failed to conduct a suitable and sufficient site-specific risk assessment for the work being carried out.
The investigation also revealed the mower’s roll-over protection system (ROPS) had been removed at some stage prior to the work commencing. ROPS are designed to safeguard operators in the event of a machine overturning and are a vital safety feature when working on uneven or sloping terrain.
Appropriate risk assessment is crucial when operating ride-on machinery, particularly whilst doing so on slopes or near water, according to the HSE. Employers must ensure equipment is suitable for the terrain and fitted with necessary safety features to protect operators.
MHS Countryside Management Limited, of Bishop Auckland, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, reports Teesside Live.
The company was fined £27,000 and ordered to pay £11,166 in costs at York Magistrates’ Court on February 17.
North Stainley pond, near Ripon, North Yorkshire(Image: HSE)
‘That day I lost a part of me’
Kamil’s parents expressed in a statement: “The pain I feel every day since that tragedy is unimaginable, I do not wish that on anybody. That day I lost part of me. I will never be able to hug him, tell him how much I love him. I will never receive flowers from him, will never meet his wife or his children. Kamil was my physical and mental support.
“That day was his last day at that workplace and it happened to be the last day of his short life. I don’t know what life holds for the future for me, but what I am certain of is it will not be as full or as happy now that Kamil has gone from our lives. What makes it even worse, I believe his death could have been prevented and should never have happened.”
Health and Safety Executive investigations following an incident in North Stainley(Image: HSE)
Following the hearing, HSE Inspector Darian Dundas stated: “This is a profoundly tragic case which is made all the more harrowing because the safety feature designed to prevent incidents like this had been removed from the lawnmower – leading to the fatal turn of events which has robbed a family of their loved one.
“The completion of a suitable and sufficient site-specific risk assessment is vital before undertaking work activities and ensures appropriate action can be taken to eliminate hazards or, where this is not possible, to properly control the risks. In this case, the failure to assess the risks and ensure suitable safety measures were in place resulted in a tragic and entirely avoidable loss of life.”
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