30.10.2008

£40,000 after Man Killed by Refuse Truck

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning the waste industry to ensure that adequate precautions are taken to prevent injuries caused by reversing waste and recycling collection vehicles. The warning follows HSE's prosecution of North Tyneside Council after a man was killed by a refuse truck.

The council was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £7,365 costs at Newcastle Crown Court after earlier pleading guilty to a breach of Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court.

On May 2, 2006, a member of the public, Brian Kindred, was killed after a refuse truck hit him near his home in Allanville, Camperdown, as it was reversing.

HSE Inspector Stephen Britton said:-

"This is a tragic case where we found that the council's safety management procedures were not adequate. There was no supervision in place, training was cursory and did not cover guiding vehicles in any way."

"Had the council followed the simple and straight forward control measures that have been specifically designed for the waste and recycling industry such as, training their operators to warn the driver about pedestrians walking close to the vehicle, Mr Kindred would not have died."