Recycling firm fined £1.2 million over collision that left worker with fractured skull

The incident occurred on 10 August 2020 at a processing site in Rotherham operated by CF Booth Limited. An employee was walking across the yard without wearing his hi-vis jacket when he was hit by the vehicle.

The worker was struck at a processing site in Rotherham operated by CF Booth Limited. Photograph: HSE

The driver did not see the worker because they were focusing on navigating the wagon around some skips that had been placed in the corner, close to where the victim was crossing, said the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which investigated the incident. CF Booth had not carried out a suitable workplace transport risk assessment for the segregation of vehicles and pedestrians, added the regulator.

The collision left the worker with a fractured skull and collar bone, although he has since made a full recovery.

“If CF Booth Limited had assessed the risks and ensured vehicles and pedestrians could circulate in a safe manner, this incident could easily have been avoided,” said HSE inspector Kirstie Durrans.

CF Booth, of Clarence Metal Works, Armer Street, Rotherham, pleaded guilty at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on 25 April to breaching Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company was fined £1.2 million and ordered to pay costs of £5,694.85.

HSE guidance on workplace transport safety states that employers must provide separate routes for pedestrians and vehicles, where possible, and provide appropriate crossing points where pedestrians and traffic meet.