Recycling firm fined £880,000 after worker dies in waste shredder

A recycling company and its managing director have been ordered to pay fines and court costs amounting to over £1 million, and two people have been given suspended prison sentences after the death of an agency worker who was drawn into machinery while cleaning in the area.
Managing Director of Mid UK Recycling, Chris Mountain. EMN-171011-230236001Managing Director of Mid UK Recycling, Chris Mountain. EMN-171011-230236001
Managing Director of Mid UK Recycling, Chris Mountain. EMN-171011-230236001

Nottingham Crown Court heard yesterday (Friday) how Karlis Pavasars working at Mid–UK Recycling Limited at the Barkston Heath site near Ancaster lost his life while cleaning near a conveyor. The recycling line was started up and the worker was drawn onto the conveyor, along the line through a trommel and into an industrial waste shredder, the court was told.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the accident that occurred on July 19, 2013 found that the fixed gate that fenced the area off and prevented access to the conveyor had been removed for a number of weeks prior to the incident, which meant that workers could freely gain access to the area. Management were aware that the gate was not in place just days before the incident.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mid-UK Recycling Ltd of Summit House, Quarrington, Sleaford pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) and Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £880,000 and ordered to pay costs of £100,000.

Christopher Mountain, Managing Director, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act. He was given a 20-week prison sentence suspended for two years and fined £50,000.

Alan Munson, former Operations Director, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act and was given a 20 week prison sentence suspended for two years.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

After the hearing, HSE inspector Dr Richenda Dixon commented: “This horrific fatality could so easily have been avoided by simply installing and maintaining physical guards around conveyors and ensuring that safe working practices were in place. Employers should make sure they properly assess, apply and maintain effective control measures to minimise the risk from dangerous parts of machinery”.