Scrapyard claw crushes man, prompts prosecution and £50,000 fine

A lack of warning signs, no published site rules, and no formal systems for work, led to the death of a man in 2007 at a metal recyclers.

Barry and Joey Collins entered the James Huntley & Sons Ltd. of Sholing, Southampton metal recycling site on August 2nd, 2007. Access was gained through an open gate at the back of the site.

They were looking at a van and Barry got in to look at its parts. While inside, the scrapyard grab claw returned. Joey, standing outside the van, tried to signal to the driver that his brother was in the van. The driver misunderstood and proceeded to pick it up, crushing and killing Barry.

Roger Upfold, HSE Inspector, commented:

"This was a truly tragic miscommunication that led to a man’s death. Had simple measures been in place to control site access and let members of the public know where they should and shouldn’t go, this awful incident would probably never have happened.

Recycling sites are dangerous work environments. As such, warning notices, communication of site rules, and the use of high visibility clothing, should all be used to set clear expectations for the behaviour of visitors.”

The company pleaded guilty to the following:

- Breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety Work etc Act 1974
- Contravening Regulation 3(6) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

The case ended on November 27th last year with a fine of £50,000 awarded alongside £34,373.80 in costs.

Source: HSE