The incident involved a collision between a pedestrian and an industrial vehicle.The male employee, named in the local press as Patrick, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The East of England Ambulance Service was called to St Albans Road at 11:17am. The scene was attended by ambulance crews from London Colney in Hertfordshire and two from Watford ambulance station.
Gary Sanderson, a spokesman for the Ambulance Service, said: First and foremost our thoughts are with the mans family at this tragic time.
On our arrival it was evident there was nothing we could do and the man was pronounced dead by paramedics.
FCC Environment, formerly known as Waste Recycling Group (WRG), manages the waste transfer station on behalf of Hertfordshire county council. The council awarded WRG a 13 million, seven year contract to manage the Waterdale waste transfer station in October 2010 (see letsrecycle.com story). The station receives around 180,000 tonnes per year of kerbside collected municipal solid waste from six local authorities in Hertfordshire.
Waste accepted at the site is bulked up using four refurbished static compactors and placed into compaction ejection trailers. The waste is then sent to disposal points designated by Hertfordshire county council, including WRG’s landfill sites at Bletchley, near Milton Keynes, and Stewartby, near Bedford.
Investigation
The incident is now being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). A spokeswoman for the HSE said: The HSE is investigating the incident in conjunction with the Hertfordshire Police.
A spokeswoman for Hertfordshire police explained that the incident was not being treated as suspicious. However she said that the police were preparing a file for the coroner. She confirmed that the incident involved the employee and a vehicle.
Deepest sympathy
FCC Environment said that the employees next of kin had been informed and that the company would be assisting the HSE and police with their investigations.
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In a statement the company said: FCC Environment can confirm that an incident took place at Waterdale waste transfer station, near Watford, which resulted in the death of an employee. The incident happened at 11.20am on Friday 17 August. The mans next of kin have been informed.
FCC Environment is helping both the Health and Safety Executive and the police at the site with their investigations, and the company is conducting its own investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The statement concluded: We would like to offer our support and extend deepest sympathy to the family at this difficult time.
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