A grounds maintenance company has been fined after an employee was killed when a ride-on lawnmower fell on top of him in a pond.
Kamil Grygieniec, 23, was found face down in the water after he had been cutting grass on an inclined bank in North Stainley, near Ripon, in October 2021.
Though an inquest ruled his death an accident, a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found MHS Countryside Management Limited had failed to carry out a suitable risk assessment and the machine's roll-over protection system had been removed.
The company, of Bishop Auckland, pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act and was fined nearly £40,000 at York Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
A lawnmower's machine's roll-over protection system (ROPS) is designed to protect operators in the event of a machine overturning and is a "critical safety feature" when working on uneven or sloping ground, said the HSE.
A spokesperson added: "Suitable risk assessment is essential when operating ride-on machinery, particularly while doing so on slopes or near water.
"Employers must ensure equipment is appropriate for the terrain and fitted with necessary safety features to protect operators."
It was also Grygieniec's last day at the company and he was due to start a new job the following week.
A postmortem examination at the time found he suffered "sharp blunt force injuries" to the left side of his head, caused by the impact of the mower's blades.
Grygieniec, from Northallerton, died as a result of these head injuries.
In a statement following the HSE investigation, Grygieniec's parents said: "The pain I feel every day since that tragedy is unimaginable, I do not wish that on anybody.
"That day was his last day at that workplace and it happened to be the last day of his short life."
They added: "What makes it even worse, I believe his death could have been prevented and should never have happened."
MHS Countryside Management Limited was fined £27,000 and ordered to pay £11,166.41 in costs.
After Tuesday's hearing, HSE inspector Darian Dundas said: "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.
"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," he added.