CCTV has captured the shocking moment a heavy duty shovel loader runs over a workman on his first day at a waste recycling site.
The 40-year-old is seen collecting waste before the truck unexpectedly rams into him from behind.
Wheeldon Brothers Waste Limited, a waste and recycling company, has now been fined £250,000 after an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
HSE principal inspector Lisa Bailey said: ‘This man is lucky to be alive.
‘Vehicles such as shovel loaders require plenty of space due to the number of blind spots and poor visibility.
‘This incident was easily avoidable by implementing control measures and safe practices.’
The man, now 44, has since returned to work but with a different company.
The horror unfolded at the Mossdown Road waste site in Oldham, Manchester, in July, 2021.
The horror moment a worker was mown down by a yellow shovel loader at a recycling site in Manchester was caught on camera
The man, in orange work trousers, topples over as the vehicle’s claw rams into him
The shovel loader runs over the man before reversing back after being alerted by other workers
The victim spent one week in hospital after suffering a bone fracture, as well as muscle and nerve damage to his leg.
The massive machine drove on top of the man and then reversed back over him when alerted by nearby colleagues.
The incident happened on his first day in employment.
He had been hand-picking waste as the conveyor belt normally used to sort rubbish was damaged in a fire a few months earlier.
Employees were told to work from the ground near moving vehicles which put their wellbeing at risk, Manchester Magistrates Court heard.
The investigation found there was a lack of supervision and no risk assessment had taken place.
It also concluded the company failed to ensure there were adequate measures in place for the safe segregation of vehicles and pedestrians.
Wheeldon Brothers Waste Limited, of Bury, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety laws, and was ordered to pay £4102.32 in legal costs on top of its £250,000 fine.
Ms Bailey added: ‘Measures should have been implemented to ensure that workers present in the yard were not put at risk from moving vehicles in and around where they were working.
‘This should be a reminder to the waste industry of the need to ensure that workplace transport is appropriately considered.’
A safety bulletin was issued at the waste facility with specific guidance on the use of wheeled loading shovels.
