16/10/2015
Waste management company, Sita UK, was fined £200,000 and forced to pay £12,000 in costs last month after an employee was run over by a 7.5 tonne telehandler vehicle.
The HSE investigation found that the employee was walking behind the stationary vehicle when it began to reverse, subsequently striking him down. The injuries he received required him to be hospitalised for two months and he is not expected to work again for some time.
Health and Safety Risks Identified
The Preston Crown Court heard that although risks regarding moving vehicles had been identified, no procedures had been put in place to prevent accidents involving walkers and moving vehicles.
Company Response to the Decision
A spokesman for SUEZ said today (October 15) that the company is “deeply disappointed that this incident occurred” and that it “respects the decision of the courts and takes responsibility for the incident”.
The firm said: “While there were several mitigating factors, which the court took into account in making its decision, we accept that this regrettable accident, and the injuries sustained by our employee, could and should have been avoided.
“We take the health and safety of all of our employees extremely seriously and have invested significantly over the last few years in improving the management of health and safety across all of our sites, not just in physical and procedural terms but also in culture across the company.”
SUEZ also highlighted its ‘Safety in Mind’ programme implemented in 2009, which it said had made “significant” improvements to its health and safety performance.
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