Environmental Tyre Disposals Ltd and MIDCO Waste Management each received 70,000 fines at the Old Bailey yesterday following an investigation into the death of Thomas Akwasi Aseidu-Ampofoh, who was crushed to death under a telescopic reach truck at the companies' Edmonton site in North London in 2001.
 The Edmonton site where the fatal incident occurred in July 2001 |
The companies had pleaded guilty at a hearing in November 2004 to a charge under the Health and Safety at Work Act that they failed to take reasonably practicable precautions to ensure the safety at work of its employees.
A Health and Safety Executive investigation concluded that both companies failed to take adequate measures to prevent or control risks arising from the use of the telescopic reach vehicle by untrained operators.
ETD and MIDCO Waste Management were also ordered to pay 29,982 in costs to the Health and Safety Executive. A compensation award of 3,942 is also to be paid to Mr Aseidu-Ampofoh's brother for funeral expenses, while a bereavement order of 7,500 is to be paid to his widow.
On July 1, 2001 Mr Aseidu-Ampofoh was crushed to death under a telescopic reach truck at the tyre recycling site, which is used by both ETD and MIDCO. Mr Aseidu-Ampofoh was employed by ETD at the time, but had been instructed to support staff from MIDCO in the tyre shredding operation on the site.
”A risk assessment, adequate supervision and suitable training were all absent in this case. This left the level of safety provided by both companies far below the required standard. “
– Simon Hester, HSEMr Aseidu-Ampofoh had been driving the vehicle at the time, using it to push tyres towards the shredder, where the tyres were then placed in the shredder by a MIDCO employee. The vehicle toppled over, crushing him between the side of the truck and the ground, the HSE said.
Risk
HSE investigating inspector Simon Hester explained: “Mr Aseidu-Ampofoh was employed by ETD primarily as a tyre checker. He was not trained to operate the loader, which was the task he undertook on that day and which cost him his life.
“The people best placed to make workplaces safe from harm are the managers and staff who work in them, but only if they are aware of the dangers and risks and how to work safely when those risks arise. A risk assessment, adequate supervision and suitable training were all absent in this case. This left the level of safety provided by both companies far below the required standard,” Mr Hester added.
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Both companies have now addressed the health and safety shortcomings in question, the HSE said, but had simple health and safety steps had been taken at the time, Mr Aseidu-Ampofoh's death would have been prevented Mr Hester said.
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