A FARM worker died after he was crushed by falling machinery, an inquest has heard this week.

Anthony John Sadler, of Lower Bullingham, Hereford, was taken to Bristol's Southmead hospital by air ambulance, where he underwent emergency surgery after suffering severe abdominal injuries.

However, he died three days later on October 6, 2017.

Monday's inquest at Hereford Town Hall heard the 61-year-old was working to fix a damaged hydraulic pipe on the boom of a JCB telehandler at Much Fawley Farm, near How Caple, when a box tipper attachment weighing around three quarters of a ton became detached and fell on him.

Farm worker Steven Haynes told the inquest that Mr Sadler and colleague Thomas Preece had been working with the boom raised in order to access the pipe, but that he had not propped or chocked the boom.

Mr Haynes, who was carrying out repairs to a nearby vehicle, said he had noticed the locking pins securing the box tipper to the boom were not properly located and the attachment was beginning to tilt from the carriage.

"I shouted that he needed to get it down and take it off, and he ran to the front of the box tipper," Mr Haynes said.

"I shouted at him to get away, but he shouted that he was worried that it would fall and break the other pipes."

"Tom was trying to lower the boom, and then the box tipper fell off."

Mr Haynes told the inquest that repairs were made to the machinery later that day, and it continued to be used until a prohibition notice was put in place by the Health and Safety Executive some days later.

The JCB and box tipper attachment were not inspected by the HSE until October 17, two weeks after the accident.

Michael Goodwin, a specialist mechanical engineer for the HSE, told the inquest he had not been made aware that any repairs had been made to the machinery.

"The engagement of the locking pins in the brackets was barely sufficient at the time of inspection, but when we tested it, we could not cause the box tipper to disengage from the carriage," he said.

"If the box tipper was in the same condition on the day of inspection as at the time of the incident, then it would have stayed on the carriage.

"If it had been repaired, then it is possible that the locking pins did not reach the brackets on the day, and it may be that the brackets had been bent back into place."

The inquest jury concluded that Mr Sadler died from aspiration pneumonia, with antecedent causes of abdominal trauma and recent surgeries and recorded an accidental death verdict.