Viridor Waste Management Ltd was fined following an incident on 27 February 2017, where an employee was crushed by a reversing 22.5-tonne shovel loader driven by an on-site contractor at the company's recycling site in Crayford.
The employee was working in the area as banksman, assisting a lorry to manoeuvre into a bay while a shovel leader reversed out of the bay independently, knocking him into the ground and driving over the lower half of his body. He suffered life-changing injuries, including several serious fractures and internal injuries.
An investigation carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Viridor Waste Management Limited failed to organise the workplace in a way to ensure the safe movement of traffic for pedestrians and vehicles. This prosecution was also the fourth in the company's four years of business, two of which related to fatal incidents. The company was found in breach of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations SI 1992/3004 and fined £400,000.
Speaking after the case the HSE inspector Megan Carr said: "This incident is a reminder to the waste and recycling industry as to the importance of good workplace transport control which can often be achieved by simple pragmatic steps to avoid such incidents from occurring. HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards."
