A driver escaped serious injury after a shovel loader he was driving fell into a waste pit at the energy from waste plant in Coventry on Monday (21 August).
The incident took place at the 250,000 tonnes-per year capacity energy from waste (EfW) facility managed by Coventry and Solihull Waste Disposal Company (CSWDC) on Bar Road. The vehicle is believed to have fallen more than 30ft.
The shovel loader fell into a waste pit at the EfW facility in Coventry (Picture: West Midlands Fire Service )
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) confirmed that it has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
‘Trapped’
In a statement, the West Midlands Ambulance Service said shortly after 10.30am on Monday it was called to reports of a man who was ‘trapped’ in a vehicle which had fallen into a pit.
The statement continued: “The man was treated on scene for relatively minor injuries before being taken by land ambulance to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire.”
According to West Midlands Ambulance Service, the rescue operation took around three hours due to the ‘difficulties’ of the location.
An ambulance, two paramedic officers, the Trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) paramedics and the critical care car from The Air Ambulance Service attended the scene.
CSWDC
When contacted by letsrecycle.com, Karl Starkey, managing director of CSWDC confirmed the incident on Monday.
Mr Starkey said: “A member of staff, whilst carrying out the routine disposal of confidential waste, drove a shovel loader into the waste bunker falling in the region of 30ft.”
“He sustained a broken right shoulder and a broken bone in his neck.”
“I would like to thank the CSWDC emergency response team for their swift response, especially regarding contacting the emergency services. I would also like to thank the emergency services for their professionalism in what was a complex rescue.”
Mr Starkey said the company was carrying out an internal investigation and cooperating fully with the HSE. He said the company also face the ‘complex matter’ of retrieving the vehicle from the pit.
He added: “Our thoughts at CSWDC are with the employee”
Council
CSWDC is an independent business owned by Coventry city council, Solihull Metropolitan borough council and Warwickshire county council.
The principal business activity is recovery of energy from waste, but it also operates a household waste recycling and reuse centre at the same location.
A spokesperson for Coventry city council said it was aware of the incident at the waste to energy Plant.
[gallery_placement]“The man was treated at the scene by paramedics for arm and neck pain and we are cooperating fully with the emergency services as well as the Health and Safety Executive.
“This incident took place away from the waste disposal area known as the tip which remains open to the public as usual.”
The West Midlands Fire Service said firefighters from Coventry and its Technical Rescue Unit attended the incident.
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Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
