Company fined after employee run over by excavator

A worker in Barnard Castle was struck from behind by an excavator while sorting rubbish

A waste management firm has been fined after a young employee was run over by an excavator.

The 24-year-old suffered fractures to both feet while working for Farm XS (Northern) Limited in Barnard Castle, County Durham.

The victim had been with the company for two weeks when he was struck from behind by the vehicle.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Richard McMullen said the serious injuries were caused by "failures" at the business but the outcome could have been much worse.

The HSE said the man had been working on a waste pile near moving vehicles with no separation between the two.

It also claimed there had been no risk assessment carried out or a system of work created to protect people from the vehicles.

HSE guidance states pedestrians and vehicles should be segregated when waste is being manually sorted and by law, employers must ensure traffic routes can be used without risking the safety of workers nearby.

At a hearing at Teesside Magistrates' Court, Farm XS (Northern) Limited pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations.

"This incident was easily avoidable by implementing control measures and safe practices to ensure that workers were not put at risk from moving vehicles, including clear segregation and safe refuges," Mr McMullen said.

"This should be a reminder to the waste industry of the need to consider workplace transport risks and to introduce appropriate control measures to separate vehicles and pedestrians."

The company was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £4,285 in costs.