Grundon Waste Management Limited has been fined after a traffic marshal was struck and killed by a reversing waste lorry at the former BBC Television Centre in London in February 2016.
According to a statement issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) yesterday (26 May), a jury at Southwark Crown Court heard on 13 May that a 26-tonne lorry had been reversing down a ramp at the former BBC Television Centre to collect waste from a customer’s loading bay.
The incident took place at the former BBC Television Centre in London in February 2016 (picture: Shutterstock)
In the process, it struck and fatally injured traffic marshal Kiril Karadzhov.
Grundon Waste Management Limited of Oxford Road, Benson, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, was found guilty of breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £550,000 and instructed to pay £96,874.15 in costs, the HSE said.
Guilty verdict
In a statement issued today (27 May), Grundon told letsrecycle.com: “In February 2016 a Grundon vehicle was involved in a fatal accident on the construction site at the former BBC Television Centre in London. Grundon co-operated fully with the Health and Safety Executive throughout the lengthy investigation and subsequent trial.
“Grundon accepts the guilty verdict delivered following the trial at Southwark Crown Court. We would like to convey our sincere regret for the accident and express our condolences and sympathy for the family, friends and colleagues of Mr Karadzhov.
“We are a responsible business that places the utmost importance on health and safety, along with a genuine commitment to preventing injury and ill health to anyone affected by our activities. Grundon acknowledges it has not met the high standards we expect and set for ourself.
“Grundon has undertaken a comprehensive review of our management systems, including health and safety policies, procedures and processes, to ensure that lessons have been learned from this tragic incident.”
HSE
An investigation by the HSE found Grundon failed to identify reversing as a hazard that needed to be eliminated or controlled.
“Grundon acknowledges it has not met the high standards we expect and set for ourself”
The HSE said suitable actions were not taken to control the risk of reversing. This exposed pedestrians to risks to their safety, it said.
If reversing had been identified as a danger, then the risk could have been eliminated or reduced, the HSE said, such as by developing a clear and safe system of work to access the loading bay on their customer’s sites.
Speaking after the sentencing hearing, HSE inspector Sharon Boyd said: “If the hazard of reversing vehicles had been properly identified and appropriate discussions had taken place with those responsible for traffic management, a consistent system of work which properly controlled the risks associated with the hazard could have been developed and Mr Karadzhov’s death could have been avoided.
“The dangers associated with reversing vehicles are well known and a wealth of advice and guidance is freely available from HSE and other organisations.”
Logistics
In November 2020, the construction logistics provider which employed Mr Karadzhov, Wilson James Limited, was also fined following the incident.
Wilson James Limited of Chalkwell Lawns, London Rd, Westcliff On Sea, Essex, pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 at Southwark Crown Court on 2 November. The HSE says the company was fined £850,000 and instructed to pay £11,750 in costs.
The post Grundon fined over 2016 reversing lorry fatality appeared first on letsrecycle.com.
Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
