Waste firm fined over worker death

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World's End Waste (Investments) Ltd, was fined £100,000 at the Old Bailey in May following the death of 32-year-old tipper truck driver Sam Boothman at their waste transfer site at Pensbury Place, Wandsworth on 1 June 2004.

Sam had discharged his truck's load at the site's transfer shed and had moved the truck to another part of the site to secure its tailgate, when he was hit from behind by the bucket of a shovel truck driven by another employee. He suffered severe multiple crushing injuries and died shortly after.

Speaking after the case, HSE Principal Inspector Margaret Pretty, said: "The case shows everyone in the waste transfer industry the importance of planning for workplace transport and having safe systems of work in place. A one-way traffic system, the use of a banksman and designated pedestrian walkways, all of which were subsequently introduced by the company, may have prevented this fatality."

The presiding judge, His Honour Judge Focke QC, said: "It is a very dangerous practice to drive a shovel truck with the bucket raised a few feet off the ground, so that the driver's forward vision is obscured. The penalty should reflect public concern at an unnecessary loss of life. Companies must be deterred from operating in a slack way."

World's End Waste Ltd pleaded guilty to a charge that they had failed to ensure the safety of their employees, including Mr Boothman, so far as reasonably practicable.

This was the second major incident at the site within a year and the court was told of yet another. On 11 January 2000 a worker who was relieving himself against a truck was hit by a vehicle. On 16 June 2003 Lee Wells was hit by a shovel truck and suffered a broken leg. Lee subsequently needed four operations and spent five weeks in hospital.

Geoff Martin, Senior Manager Battersea and Wandsworth TUC, said: "This case highlights the need for local trade union safety reps to have a statutory right to visit and inspect premises. We went down to Worlds End Waste to do just that and were told in no uncertain terms to f*** off. If we had statutory powers to inspect non-union companies lives like that of Sam Boothman could be saved."

Battersea and Wandsworth TUC have also made approaches to Wandsworth Council to ensure World's End Waste are not being used as a contractor by the authority and to ensure they will not be included in the future.

There is also the matter of the licence under which World's End Waste are allowed to work. This licence to deal with waste is issued by the Environment Agency but it is unclear as to whether, following these incidents and the successful prosecution, either the Environment Agency or the HSE has the right, or the will, to revoke World's End Waste's licence.

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