A worker at a metal recycling plant was crushed to death when he was pinned against a steel column by a wheeled loading shovel.
Linas Mataitis, 25, was working at European Metal Recycling (EMR) Ltd’s plant at Scrubs Lane, Willesden, when the incident took place on 18 July 2010. He had joined the company two months earlier as a temporary worker.
The firm, which operates across Europe, Asia and the Americas, was conducting an annual two-week shutdown to carry out maintenance. Mr Mataitis was part of a team using hand shovels to scrape and clear dirt near conveyors, which fed a large shredder. They placed the dirt into piles for collection by colleagues who were operating a mini excavator and a wheeled loading shovel. The smaller machines were used to fill the bucket of the loading shovel, which was then driven away to be emptied.
The loading shovel was returning to be refilled for a fourth time when it struck a steel support on the conveyor. As the driver reversed he noticed Mr Mataitis had been trapped between the vehicle and the support. Mr Mataitis died at the scene as a result of serious crush injuries.
The HSE visited the site on the same day and found that EMR’s documented procedures for clearing dirt from around conveyors, which covered the use of a mini excavator but did not include the shutdown operation when the safety gates were open. As a result, no steps were in place to segregate vehicles from pedestrians.
The investigation also found the driver of the loading shovel hadn’t been adequately trained, and was therefore unauthorised to use the vehicle. The company wasn’t properly monitoring staff to ensure only trained operatives were able to use the vehicles.
The HSE issued two Prohibition Notices, which required the maintenance to stop until a safe system of work was created, and procedures to be put in place to ensure only trained operatives were permitted to use the vehicles.
HSE inspector Jane Wolfenden said: “Linas’ tragic death was entirely preventable. EMR should have been fully aware of its health and safety duties, and of the clear risks presented by vehicle and pedestrian movements.
“A risk assessment isn’t a paper exercise where a one-size-fits-all approach is acceptable, and the company should have properly planned for the shutdown operation, where the level of risk was significantly increased.
“The same can be said for training, instruction and supervision, where there was no clear direction, or protocol for monitoring new or inexperienced workers.”
EMR appeared at Southwark Crown Court on 20 May and pleaded guilty to breaching s2(1) and s3(1) of the HSWA 1974. It was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay £72,901 in costs.
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