HSE | A waste and recycling company in Oldham has been fined £250,000 after a man was run over on his first day on the job.
The then 40-year-old was hand picking waste when he was hit from behind by a moving shovel loader. The digger drove over the man and had to reverse when the alarm was raised by nearby colleagues.
The man, now 44, suffered a bone fracture, as well as muscle and nerve damage to his leg after being struck by the vehicle in the yard on 28 July 2021. The incident happened on his first day in employment as a waste picker.
An investigation by the HSE found that he had been hand picking waste after the conveyor belt they used had been removed from use after it was significantly damaged in a fire a few months earlier.
Employees were therefore required to work directly on the ground, near moving vehicles with no separation between them, putting the workers in considerable danger. There was no risk assessment and a lack of supervision for picking and sorting waste on the ground.
After the incident the man spent one week in hospital because of his injuries. He has now returned to work with a different company.
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