New Earth Solutions Group and sister company New Earth Advanced Thermal (NEAT) Technology Group Limited have been fined a total of £30,000 for safety failings after a worker from an employment agency was injured at their Bristol waste recovery site.

Bristol Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday (29 Jan) that on 5 August 2013, a worker on a contract as an industrial cleaner of thermal treatment units at NEAT Technology’s Avonmouth energy recovery facility was asked to help clear ash (a byproduct of the thermal treatment process) from the filters of a specialist vacuum machine.

After this was done, a colleague lifted the vacuum with a forklift truck with the intention of shaking any remaining ash deposits from the filters. However, the vacuum fell off the forks of the truck during this process, falling on top of the cleaner and trapping him.

The court heard that the worker suffered a fractured back and two fractured ribs in the incident, and was unable to return to work for seven months.

Companies had failed to ‘adequately assess the risks’

An investigation led by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) deemed that NEAT Technology Group Ltd (which was responsible for the design, build and commission of the energy recover centre), and New Earth Solutions Group (which operates the site, alongside the adjacent mechanical biological treatment facility) were liable as they had:

• not adequately assessed the risks associated with cleaning the vacuum filters;
• failed to identify a safe system of work for unblocking the machine using appropriate equipment;
• failed to sufficiently train and instruct workers to unblock the filters safely; and
• did not have in place a sufficient monitoring or supervision strategy for the cleaning process.

As such, the court fined New Earth Solutions Group Ltd £14,000 and ordered it to pay costs of £1,241, while NEAT Technology Group Ltd was fined £16,000 and also ordered to pay costs of £1,241.

Both companies pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974, which states that: ‘It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety.’

‘Incident could have easily been avoided’

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Matthew Tyler said: “This incident highlights the importance of effectively controlling the risks associated with all work processes. This did not occur in this case, and the consequences could have been far more serious.

“This incident could have easily been avoided and the injured cleaner would not have been injured had both companies planned this work properly and provided with appropriate training and supervision.”

In a joint statement following the court proceedings, New Earth Solutions and NEAT Technology said: 'Since the accident, both companies have thoroughly reviewed procedures taking additional external advice, including from the HSE.

‘Both companies profoundly regret the incident and the injuries suffered. Both companies are committed to working to the best health and safety standards, and the record at Avonmouth since the accident has been excellent.’

Waste sector ‘one of the most dangerous’

Injuries and deaths in the waste sector are not uncommon, and the HSE has branded the industry as ‘one of the most dangerous’ sectors to work in after finding that 10 workers and three members of the public suffered fatal injuries in the waste and recycling sector in 2012/13, compared with an average of six deaths in the past five years.

To reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured in the waste and recycling industry, HSE has published the ‘Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) blueprint 2012-15’, which outlines 24 ‘immediate action points’ that companies dealing with waste and recycling need to take to provide clearer training and safer workplaces.

Find out more about the WISH blueprint.