Cheshire firm fined after leg crush
22/06/2010
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a recycling company after a worker was crushed by an 18-tonne truck, leading him to lose part of his leg.
WSR Recycling Ltd was fined £10,000 after the incident on September 14, 2009, which resulted in the man's leg being amputated below the knee.
The accident occurred at the tipping bay at the company's Ditton Road site in Widnes, where the 46-year-old-man, who does not wish to be named, was hit by a Volvo L110E articulated shovel loader.
The Cheshire-based company appeared before Halton Magistrates' Court in Runcorn on June 21 and admitted it did not ensure the safety of pedestrians and vehicles when moving around in the work bay.
Chris Goddard, the investigating inspector for HSE, said: "This worker has suffered a life-long injury as a result of a tragic incident and was very fortunate not to have been killed. He was run over by a very heavy vehicle, so his injuries could easily have been much worse.
"It was foreseeable that pedestrians would be working in the same area as trucks, and so measures should have been taken to manage the risks. The site should have been properly supervised so that workers were kept away from moving vehicles. Waste companies cannot afford to relax about safety, and risk developing bad habits as a result."
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