Skip hire firm fined after worker injured in fall

The 40-year-old worker, who did not wish to be named, broke two ribs, punctured a lung and developed a blood clot in his head as a result of the fall at Horn Lane, Acton, on March 2 2010. He was unconscious in hospital for two weeks.

Quick Skips & Recycling Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations at Westminster Magistrates’ Court last week (October 24) following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The Court heard that the worker was in his first day of employment with Quick Skips & Recycling and was collecting waste from Bridgemarts Ltd, trading as Gowing & Pursey, for transfer to another site.

The HSE said that after loading the lorry he stopped the vehicle and climbed on top of the tipper unit to check an auto-sheeting device, used to cover the load, which had become jammed. He manually freed the jam, but the sheet system sprung back, struck him and sent him more than three metres to the ground below.

Failings

The HSE said that both companies should have done more to prevent the incident. It said Bridgemarts, which had overall responsibility for the Acton site, failed to adequately control the work at height risks and ensure the safety of a sub-contractor.

The HSE added that Quick Skips & Recycling had allowed systematic failings in health and safety management, both in relation to the Acton incident and also the operation of its own site in Ealing. HSE inspectors identified several issues during a subsequent visit to this site, including diggers and HGVs operating within close proximity to workers.

Quick Skips & Recycling Ltd, of Atlas Road, London was fined 20,000 and ordered to pay 2,843 in costs. Bridgemarts was earlier fined 7,000 with 1,410 in costs at Westminster Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 5 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 on July 11 2012.

Risks

After the hearing, HSE inspector Neil Fry said: “The Quick Skips employee could have died as a result of the fall, which would have unbelievably tragic on his first day of work at the firm. All because of an incident that was entirely preventable and that would never have happened had both companies properly managed the safety risks.

“Incidents of this kind are all too common in the waste industry and effective controls must be put in place to stop employees clambering on top of HGVs without the right safety equipment and agreed safe working protocols.”

When contacted by letsrecycle.com Quick Skips & Recycling Ltd and Gowing & Pursey were unavailable for comment.