01 June 2009
Sasha Wood

Large waste company Biffa, which has 86 depots around the UK, has been handed a £240,000 penalty by Winchester Crown Court following the death of a worker who was knocked down by a mechanical shovel loader.
The incident happened at Biffa's Eversley depot in Hampshire when Charlie Smith was sorting waste by hand and a large shovel loader was operating in the same area. Smith was crushed under the wheels of the machine, causing lethal injuries.
An HSE investigation showed Biffa had failed to assess the risks surrounding Smith's task and specifically risks from moving vehicles. HSE inspector Nina Judkins said that if working practices had separated vehicles and pedestrians, the incident could have been avoided.
Winchester Crown Court ordered Biffa to pay a £190,000 fine plus £50,000 in HSE costs for failing in its duty to ensure Smith's safety, contrary to Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act.
This is the latest in a long line of fatal incidents involving large vehicles knocking down workers at waste management depots. Most recently, waste company Alex Smiles and its site foreman were successfully prosecuted after a worker was killed by a dumptruck.

Categories:
HSE, Risk assessment, Risk assessment, Enforcement (prosecutions), Prosecutions, Enforcement (prosecutions), Workplace transport



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