A liquidated waste management company has been fined £1 after a 24-year-old man lost both his legs when he was crushed by a 15-tonne excavator.
The man was working for R W Waste Limited at its yard in Hampshire when the excavator reversed over him as he was sorting waste. Both of the man’s lower legs were later amputated, and he has been unable to return to work since the accident.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that R W Waste Ltd failed to protect workers and other visitors to the site.
The company had not put in place suitable arrangements to keep pedestrians safe while vehicles were moving around the yard. Health and safety legislation requires workplaces to be organised so that pedestrians and vehicles can circulate safely.
Where large vehicles must reverse, employers must consider additional precautions and implement them where appropriate to protect those working nearby.
R W Waste Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act.
The court heard that the appropriate fine after trial would have been £180,000, which was reduced to £120,000 to reflect the company’s guilty plea.
However, as the company had gone into liquidation and was unable to pay, it was ordered to pay a nominal fine of £1. No order for costs was made for the same reason.
HSE Inspector Nicola Pinckney commented: “The failures of this company have left a young man with truly life-changing injuries. He has not been able to work since. Unfortunately, this type of accident is sadly not uncommon in this industry.”
“After the incident, and following enforcement action taken by HSE, the company did introduce a number of readily available measures that significantly reduce the risk of this happening again.”
