A provider of waste and recycling services has been prosecuted after one of its employees suffered life-changing injuries.
Veolia ES Staffordshire Ltd (part of Veoila UK group) was fined after the worker, who has asked not to be named, fell more than 8 feet whilst working at height.
The incident occurred in May 2014 and Stafford Magistrates court heard that the man had been clearing items which were caught on the forks of a ‘grizzly conveyor’ at the firm’s London site. He fell from the unprotected edge and suffered serious injuries as a result of the incident.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of The Work at Height Regulations 2005 and Regulation 3(1) of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. It was fined £16,600 alongside costs of £1,773.15, with a victim surcharge of £120.
HSE Inspector Katherine Blunt said after the hearing: “This incident was entirely preventable, clearing the conveyor in this way was a routine part of the job but no risk assessment had been carried out. If it had it would have been obvious edge protection was essential.
”The injured worker is still suffering from his injuries now and has only been able to return to work on limited duties.
”Falls from height are the most common cause of serious injury and fatalities in the workplace, it’s imperative that risk assessments are carried out and suitable control measures are put in place to eliminate or reduce the risks.”