Tragedy struck the lives of Tracy and her 19-year-old son, Ben Spencer when he lost his life while working at Sunrise Poultry Farms in Loughborough. Ben had only been employed at the farm for two weeks when he was crushed between a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) and a wall on April 12, 2021.
Speaking about her devastating loss, Tracy expressed the profound grief she experiences every day. “My life revolved around Ben because it has always been just me and him,” she shared. “Now I’ve got no life. I find myself keeping my distance from everyone; I just can’t cope with the idea of feeling close to someone, even my family.”
Tracy reminisced about the precious moments she shared with her son, yearning to return to happier times. “My dreams are of Ben when he was younger, and I just yearn to be back there,” she said. “Those years standing on the edge of a football pitch watching him in the freezing cold, and now I’d just go back there in a heartbeat.”
The incident occurred when the HGV was attempting a complex manoeuvre near a narrow thoroughfare at the Seagrave Road premises, while Ben was walking towards it. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed that the measures in place to segregate pedestrians and moving vehicles were wholly inadequate.
Sunrise Poultry Farms pleaded guilty to breaching regulations and was subsequently fined £233,000 plus costs of £8,841 at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on November 22, 2023.
Tracy continues to struggle with the loss of her son. She revealed that she can’t bring herself to enter Ben’s bedroom, leaving it untouched since the day he went to work. “I cry when I leave the house and I cry when I get back because he’s not here,” she expressed. “If I could just curl up in a ball, I would.”
Following the court hearing, HSE Enforcement Lawyer Andy Siddall emphasised the importance of workplace safety. “Accidents like this simply shouldn’t happen, and a mother shouldn’t have to hold the hand of her son as he lies dying in the workplace,” he stated. He urged employers to carefully assess and control risks associated with workplace transport to ensure the safety of employees.
HSE inspector Alex Nayar extended condolences to Ben’s family and friends, stating that his death could have been easily prevented if the risks associated with workplace transport had been adequately addressed.
