Refuse Company Fined £1m After Staff Fatality

Refuse Company Fined £1m After Pay Costs After Ruling Following Death of Employee.

A refuse company has landed itself in hot water and was today fined £1m. This came after a worker was ran over and tragically killed.

It was on the 18th of October 2013 that Mr John Head, who was an employee of Veolia ES (UK) Limited, was ran over by a refuse collection vehicle (RCV) when it was reversing. This happened when he was walking across the yard at the Ross Depot Waste Transfer Station in Folkestone. After suffering the fatal injuries Mr. Head was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigation

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) followed. The investigation discovered that numerous vehicles, including RCVs and articulated lorries were moving around the yard without necessary controls.

There had not been an adequate assessment of the risks involved in the yard by the company, and the company failed to use industry recognised control measures to keep their employees safe.

FINDINGS

Veolia ES (UK) Limited of Pentonville Road, London has been found guilty after a trial of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company has been fined £1 million and ordered to pay costs of £130,000 for the breaches of the Health & Safety Act.

HSE inspector Kevin Golding said: “This should be a reminder to all industries, but in particular, the waste industry, to appropriately assess the risks and implement widely recognised control measures to adequately control manoeuvring vehicles, in particular reversing vehicles and restrict pedestrian movements around vehicles.”

At Morton’s Solicitors, we have a specialist team of criminal defence solicitors who can represent businesses who are charged with being in breach of the Health & Safety Act. Call 0161 477 1121 for more details.