Wednesday 18 April 2012

Shovel loader broke teen’s foot in 16 places            
   

A recycling company has been prosecuted after the tyre of a 16-tonne shovel loader ran over a teenager’s foot as he was sorting waste at its site in Kent.
The HSE’s investigation found that Countrystyle Recycling had no system to segregate moving vehicles and pedestrians. Instead, it simply told employees to stay clear of manoeuvring vehicles.

When the accident happened in February 2010, it was raining, and the windscreen wipers on the shovel were not working. The heater in the cab was also broken, which meant the windows steamed up, reducing visibility.

Workers had to start the vehicle using a screwdriver and it would not always go into gear properly. There was also a broken wing mirror, and the loader had no reversing lights, and no reversing CCTV or convex mirror.

Nineteen-year-old Daniel Brown, who has had to give up a potential career in Motocross, broke 16 bones in his foot – one for every tonne of weight that rolled over it – and he is still suffering with pain and arthritis.

Last week, Maidstone magistrates fined Countrystyle £10,000 with costs of £6221 after it pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act

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