At the time of the incident the employee was working for May Gurney, which has since been acquired by Kier.
The 29-year-old man, who does not wish to be named, was crushed between a skip loader truck and a skip when he was preparing for a pick-up at the then May Gurney operated site at Canvey Island in January 2013.
Chelmsford Crown Court heard how the skip loader was manoeuvring into a position for the pick-up but struck the worker as it was being driven through a narrow route between the full skip and a fence.
The employee sustained life-threatening injuries as a result of the incident, including broken ribs, damage to his back, shoulder and left leg, and a chip to the back of his skull.
He was transported to the Royal London hospital where he suffered two collapsed lungs and was put into an induced coma for three days.
After a 17-day stay in hospital following considerable physiotherapy, the worker has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and has not been able to return to work.
Investigation
An investigation launched by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company did not have sufficient procedures in place to keep workers safely away from vehicles moving around the site.
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The court was told that while Kier MG Ltd had put in place in strict measures to segregate visitors from moving vehicles since acquiring the company, it had not extended them to ensure the safety of its workers.
Kier MG pleaded guilty to the safety failings and was prosecuted under Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act. The firm was also ordered to pay costs of £9,809.
After the case, HSE inspector Edward Crick, said: “This was an entirely preventable incident caused by Kier MG Ltd’s failure to recognise the hazards to workers arising from skip loading operations at their Canvey Island recycling centre, despite tackling the hazards to members of the public.
“The consequences of this were devastating for a young man, who will now have to cope with life-changing injuries for the rest of his life.
“The risks to pedestrians when they are near operating work vehicles are very serious, but also well-known within industry. There is no excuse, therefore, for companies to disregard vital elements of workplace safety.”
Commenting on the prosecution, A Kier spokesperson said: “Kier acquired the May Gurney business in July 2013, after this incident took place. Since acquisition we have remained focused on improving the operational safety record of the May Gurney businesses resulting in a 63% reduction in accident incident rates (AIR). We remain committed to improving safety standards across the portfolio.”
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