Veolia fined £1M after worker was run over by a vehicle in the yard

Refuse collection company Veolia ES (UK) Limited was  fined £1m plus costs of £130,000 after a worker was run over and killed.

The circumstances were:

• The accident occurred in the yard at the Ross Depot Waste Transfer Station in Folkestone.
• Veolia failed to adequately assess the risks involved in the yard.
• Veolia did not implement industry recognised control measures to protect employees.
• As a result, multiple vehicles, including RCVs and articulated lorries, manoeuvered around the yard with no specific controls.
• 18 October 2013, Veolia employee .John Head .was walking across the yard, . 
• He was run over by a reversing refuse collection vehicle (RCV). 
• He suffered fatal injuries when was pronounced dead at the scene.

The HSE inspector said:
“This should be a reminder to all industries, but in particular, the waste industry, to appropriately assess the risks and implement widely recognised control measures to adequately control manoeuvring vehicles, in particular reversing vehicles and restrict pedestrian movements around vehicles."