THE parents of the late Neil Graham, who was killed while working on a tractor in a local garage, have called for a change in law which would “make a vast difference” for safety of mechanics.
The 17-year-old from Garrison died following a workplace fatality which took place in Enniskillen on May 22, 2018. An inquest was held into the death of the much-loved aspiring mechanic.
Mr Graham was crushed to death while he was working underneath a tractor.
The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland reported that a safety feature to prevent the vehicle being started while in-gear had been by-passed prior to it being brought for repair.
It was also found that an inspection pit was available in the workshop, from where the tractor could have been examined from below, but it was not used at the time leading up to the accident.
Mr Graham’s parents, Joy and Eddie, are to meet with the Northern Ireland Agriculture Minister, Andrew Muir, and Northern Ireland Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmons, to discuss a law change.
“Neil is missed by us so much for everything he was for us,” Ms Graham recently told UTV News.
“Hearing the evidence and how Neil died was really difficult. We couldn’t wish it on anyone.
“It would have been easier for us to accept if Neil died in an accident but as the coroner and the jury found, this was not an accident. This shouldn’t have happened,” added the mother-of-four.
The family are calling for new legislation, named ‘Neil’s Law’ after their late son, to be introduced in a bid to impose stricter and tighter regulations after tractor inspections and safety checks.
“This tractor that was brought on to the public road was in a terrible bad state,” said Mr Graham.
“The coroner at the inquest identified this and the witnesses identified that it was in a terrible bad state. It should never have been on the public road. The public deserve to be protected from this.
“The Coroner stressed it’s not ok to tamper and bypass wires on safety features on tractors or other machinery. It’s not acceptable. A few simple changes will make a vast, vast difference.”
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