The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted WSR Recycling after the incident, which led to the worker’s left leg being amputated below the knee.

The 46-year-old man was working in a tipping bay at the company’s site in Widnes in September last year when he was hit by an articulated shovel loader.

The firm admitted it did not ensure pedestrians and vehicles could move around the bay safely when it appeared before Halton Magistrates’ Court in Runcorn on June 21.

WSR recycling was ordered to pay a £10,000 fine and £6,338 towards the HSE’s court costs.

Speaking after the case, Chris Goddard, the investigating inspector for the HSE, said: “This worker has suffered a life-long injury as a result of a tragic incident and was very fortunate not to have been killed.

“He was run over by a very heavy vehicle, so his injuries could easily have been much worse.

“It was foreseeable that pedestrians would be working in the same area as trucks, and so measures should have been taken to manage the risks.

“Waste companies cannot afford to relax about safety, and risk developing bad habits as a result.”

Luke Walsh

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