Waste company prosecuted after fatal collision

A jury at Southwark Crown Court heard that on 22 February 2016, a waste lorry had been reversing down a ramp at the former BBC Television Centre in London to collect waste from a customer’s loading bay. In the process, it struck and fatally injured traffic marshal, Kiril Karadzhov.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Grundon failed to identify reversing as a hazard that needed to be eliminated or controlled and that suitable actions had not been taken to control the risk of reversing. This exposed pedestrians to risks to their safety. If reversing had been identified as a risk then the risk could have been eliminated or reduced, such as by developing a clear and safe system of work to access the loading bay on their customer’s sites.

Grundon Waste Management Limited of Oxford Road, Benson, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, was found guilty of breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £550,000 and instructed to pay £96,874.15 in costs.

Speaking after the sentencing hearing, HSE inspector Sharon Boyd said, “If the hazard of reversing vehicles had been properly identified and appropriate discussions had taken place with those responsible for traffic management, a consistent system of work which properly controlled the risks associated with the hazard could have been developed and Mr Karadzhov’s death could have been avoided.

“The dangers associated with reversing vehicles are well known and a wealth of advice and guidance is freely available from HSE and other organisations.”