Personal Injury Solicitors

A south London waste company has been prosecuted after Health and Safety Inspectors found that staff were frequently put at risk from heavy machinery left in a dangerous condition.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) served Murphys (Waste) Ltd – based in Greenwich – with ten enforcement notices between 2009 and early 2014. The most serious breaches of health and safety related to defects in machines, which presented a “risk of death or serious personal injury to employees and people on site”.

The HSE decided to prosecute after two health and safety failings involving a loading shovel and a 360-degree excavator were found during an annual inspection by an engineer in Oct 2013.

The HSE found several defects with the loading shovel – with the worst involving extensive damage to the bolts fixing the front bucket to the machine, which could have led to the bucket falling off and crushing bystanders.

Murphys (Waste) Ltd was advised not to use the loading shovel until repairs were carried out.

However, it was later discovered that Murphys had kept it in use until a visit by HSE in January 2014, when a prohibition notice was served to halt any further use of the vehicle.

In a visit just days later, HSE identified an excavator was being used – but the vehicle had neither its left-side mirror or rear mirror in place, severely restricting visibility of the driver while moving about the site, again posing a risk to other workers.

HSE served a further prohibition notice on the company preventing use of the excavator.

On Wednesday, 5 November at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Murphys (Waste) Ltd of Horn Lane, Greenwich in southeast London, pleaded guilty to two offences under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The company was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £1,287 costs.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector John Crookes said:

“Murphys (Waste) has a dismal record of compliance with safety legislation –
and seemed to be content with repeatedly exposing its employees to unnecessary danger.

“This is a waste management company that takes bulk material from construction sites and uses heavy earth-moving plant. The risks associated with the waste industry are well-documented and widely recognised, but it is one of the most dangerous sectors.

“No company in the industry should be failing to address these risks and no worker should be regularly exposed to such uncontrolled dangers.

“All work vehicles and equipment must be kept in an efficient condition and in good state of repair.”

Duncan Lewis Personal Injury Solicitors – Industrial Accident Claims

Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors can advise those injured on industrial sites and at waste management or waste recycling plants on how to make no win no fee compensation claims if the injury occurred as a result of negligence.

Personal injury claimants have three years from the date of injury in which to claim compensation – and Duncan Lewis can advise the families of those who have lost a loved one as a result of an industrial accident on how to make no win no fee Fatal Injury Claims.

For expert legal advice on no win no fee Industrial Accident Claims, call Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors on 020 7923 4020.