A waste company has been fined £250,000 after a bin lorry ran over and killed a member of the public.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Team Waste (Southern) Ltd of Turners Hill, Sussex, after they were found to have breached health and safety laws which led to the death in Brighton.
Lewes Crown Court heard that on the 5 March 2007, Anne Smith, 61, from Brighton, was hit by a refuse vehicle as it reversed up Cranbourne Street in Brighton city centre at 6.20am. The driver did not realise he had struck Mrs Smith until her body lay about three metres in front of the vehicle. Mrs Smith died shortly afterwards.
The HSE investigation found that the driver reversed the refuse collection vehicle without a banksman (known as a reversing assistant), contrary to Team Waste’s operating policy. The vehicle also had defective CCTV at the rear and the audible reversing siren was turned off. The driver believed such alarms were prohibited before 7.00am.
Team Waste (Southern) Ltd failed to ensure that control measures identified in their own risk assessment were put into practice.
Source: Health & Safety Executive
