Council fined after recycling vehicle fatality

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard on Friday (April 11), how retired dock worker Malcolm McCulloch, 71, was walking across Holm Street when he was struck and dragged under the lorry on August 10 2012, sustaining severe chest and pelvic injuries. He later died in hospital.

The council had introduced a program of reversing assistant training in 2011, which sees an employee stand outside the vehicle and guide the driver in situations where reversing manoeuvres cannot be avoided.

During the incident, the vehicle was operated by an agency-employed driver and a council-employed labourer, who got out at stops to empty commercial glass bins.

But, neither the driver nor the labourer involved in this incident had undergone reversing assistant training, and a prosecution was brought against the council by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for serious safety failings.

Furthermore, the court was told that while the driver had checked his mirrors, turned on the vehicles flashing beacon and reversing siren before reversing, there was a 2.2 metre wide blind spot not covered by the CCTV camera or wing mirrors.

Accordingly neither the driver nor the labourer, who was sat in the passenger seat, would have seen Mr McCulloch stepping into the path of the reversing lorry.

The council pleaded guilty to breaching section three of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Collision

Following the hearing, HSE inspector Eve Macready, said: It appears the collision resulted from the lorry reversing along Holm Street and Mr McCulloch walking on the road while a lorry was reversing towards him.

Our investigation has found there was a blind spot for the driver even when using the camera, but if a reversing assistant had been used this would have prevented the incident.

Reversing vehicles poses one of the biggest hazards in the refuse collection industry and there is plenty of guidance available on how to reduce the risks. The fact that the driver and his colleague had not been trained meant they did not have the skills necessary and were not fully aware of the need to use a reversing assistant as a result Mr McCulloch has needlessly lost his life.

A council spokesman said: This was a tragic incident and our sympathy and thoughts are with Mr McCullochs family.

The council takes its responsibilities under Health and Safety legislation very seriously and practices have been reviewed and updated.