Man loses legs in waste yard excavator crushing

1 hour ago

The man was crushed by a 15-tonne excavator in the waste yard in Shedfield (pictured shortly before the incident)

HSE CCTV of the waste yard. A large skip full or rubbish is in the foreground. An excavator is in the centre of the yard, a man stood to one side of it, another further ahead, both in high vis vests. — The man was crushed by a 15-tonne excavator in the waste yard in Shedfield (pictured shortly before the incident)

A safety regulator has prosecuted a waste management company after a man was crushed by a 15-tonne excavator and had to have both legs amputated.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that R W Waste Limited did not make suitable steps to keep pedestrians safe from moving vehicles in its yard in Shedfield, Hampshire.

HSE inspector Nicola Pinckney said the failures of the company had "left a young man with truly life-changing injuries".

The 24-year-old man was working at the site in November 2023 when the excavator reversed over him as he was sorting waste. He has been unable to work since.

The HSE said: "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.

"HSE guidance on reversing states that most of these accidents can be avoided by taking simple precautions."

Enforcement action

The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 at Southampton Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

The HSE said the court heard the "appropriate fine, after trial, would have been £180,000, which was reduced to £120,000 to reflect the company's guilty plea".

Instead the company, which has since gone into liquidation, was ordered to pay a 50p fine and 40p victim surcharge.

Pinckney added: "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.

"We take these failures seriously and will hold those to account who fail to keep their workers and other people safe."

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