SRCL Limited, which has traded as Stericycle since 2017, was fined £300,150 after pleading guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
The company was also ordered to pay costs of £3,931.85 and a victim surcharge of £2,000 at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 16 June 2026.
Commenting on the prosecution, HSE Inspector Sam Eves said: “A young man at the beginning of his working life was failed by this company.
“This incident could have so easily been avoided by properly assessing the risks and applying the correct control measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery.”
No suitable guarding on conveyor system
The prosecution followed an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into an incident at the company’s Oldham site on 21 November 2024.
The court heard that the 18-year-old employee was loading a bin conveyor when his foot slipped into an unguarded conveyor channel. As a result, he sustained several serious fractures to his right leg.
An HSE investigation found that SRCL had failed to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment and had not provided suitable guarding on the conveyor system.
According to HSE guidance, employers must take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery or ensure that dangerous parts stop moving before anyone can enter a danger zone.
This is normally achieved through fixed guarding, although where routine access is required, other protective measures such as interlocked guards or pressure-sensitive mats may be necessary.
Eves added: “Companies should know that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”
The prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Gemma Zakrzewski and supported by Paralegal Officer Stephen Grabe.
Register for free to comment