According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the worker had been observing a tipping activity in the blind spot of the excavator while working for Peter Norris (Haulage) Ltd in September 2017 , and had his leg crushed by the machine.
Speaking after the hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court last week, HSE inspector John Spence said: “This incident was entirely preventable and has caused a permanent and life-changing injury to a young agency worker.
“The company failed to implement an adequate system of monitoring of agency workers on site who were therefore, in effect, left to manage themselves without necessary oversight from the company.
“Any company that uses agency workers are required to extend the same duty of care to them as their own direct employee.”
HSE says Peter Norris (Haulage) Ltd of Tower Bridge House, St Katharine’s Way, London, pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £140,000 and was ordered to pay full costs of £9,322.48.
Investigation
According to the HSE statement, the excavator had reversed to accommodate another vehicle tipping off waste in an adjacent part of the site.
“This incident has caused a permanent and life-changing injury”
An HSE investigation found no evidence of any system whereby newly hired agency staff were shown the site’s safety rules. This meant the injured worker was unaware he was to stand in the safe refuge areas while vehicles were moving around the site.
Haulage
Founded in 1972, Peter Norris (Haulage) Ltd is based in Greenwich and Orpington.
On its website, the waste haulage contractor says it has served the construction industry, local communities and businesses in South London for more than 40 years.
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