Hampshire Waste Firm Fined £60,000 over Worker's Death

The Health and Safety Executive is warning companies that adequate
risk assessments must be in place after an employee died after being
hit by a vehicle at a waste transfer station.

Frederick Aubrey who worked for John Stacey and Sons died on 1st June
2007 at its Tadley facility in north Hampshire.

Mr Aubrey and two other employees were hand-sorting material in a
process known as totting at the waste management and construction
firm. A fourth employee was instructed to tip over a skip using a
shovel loader and in doing so, reversed over Mr Aubrey, who died from
his injuries 5 days later.

John Stacey and Sons appeared at Winchester Crown Court on July 29th
2009 and pleaded guilty to section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at
Work etc Act 1974 and regulations 3(1) of the Management of Health and
Safety at Work Regulations 1999 at a previous hearing at Basingstoke
Magistrates Court on 29th June. The company was fined £60,000 and
ordered to pay costs of £29,061, plus a victim surcharge of £15.

The HSE explained that the process of totting had only been carried
out at the company for about 2 weeks before the incident occurred, and
the company had not identified that this practice unnecessarily
exposed employees to the risk of vehicles moving around them without
protection to them.

HSE Inspector David Bibby said: "This case highlights the importance
of assessing risks and putting adequate controls in place to protect
pedestrians from vehicles, and the tragic consequences when this is
not properly done."

"This should serve as a message to all companies, and especially those
in the waste industry where unfortunately accidents like this are all
too common, to ensure that risks from workplace transport are
identified and suitable measures put in place to prevent accidents."