Story Highlight
– Worker crushed by reversing telehandler in Lancashire incident.
– HSE found no risk assessment conducted by the company.
– Company failed to segregate vehicles from pedestrian workers.
– Employee suffered life-changing injuries, including partial sight loss.
– Company fined £24,000 for Health and Safety violations.
Full Story
A waste management firm has been penalised following a serious incident that left a young worker with life-altering injuries. The accident involved a reversing telehandler at the company’s Lancashire facility, highlighting significant safety lapses relating to vehicle management and employee protection.
Jordan Campion, a 21-year-old from Burnley, was performing his duties at Sheridan Skips Burnley Limited on March 12, 2024, when he was struck by the machinery. The incident occurred at the company’s Smiths Yard location while Mr Campion, along with three colleagues, was engaged in the manual sorting of waste materials. During this process, a telehandler, operated by a fellow employee, reversed without appropriate warnings, resulting in Mr Campion being pinned against a brick wall.
The repercussions of the incident were severe. Mr Campion endured multiple fractures, damage to nerves in his right arm, and injuries to his internal organs. This horrifying experience also resulted in partial hearing loss in his right ear and led to the formation of a blood clot affecting his vision, resulting in irreversible sight loss in that eye.
An investigation conducted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed critical deficiencies in the company’s safety protocols. It was found that the site had a lack of proper risk assessments, particularly regarding the operation of vehicles in proximity to employees. The investigation indicated that employees frequently worked in areas where vehicles were in motion, and the company failed to implement essential controls that would separate pedestrian workers from vehicular traffic. Moreover, it was noted that the telehandler was not outfitted with adequate mirrors for the operator to have a clear view while reversing—a safety shortcoming that had consistently gone unaddressed.
As part of its commitment to ensuring workplace safety, the HSE has developed guidelines that address the safe management of workplace transport, particularly in environments where manual sorting of recyclables occurs alongside vehicle operation. These guidelines serve as a resource for employers to implement necessary legal requirements to minimise risk and protect workers.
Mr Campion’s hospital stay lasted nearly two weeks following the incident. In his victim personal statement, he expressed the emotional turmoil experienced by his family: “My incident has caused my family great distress. They permanently worry about me; they never thought that I wouldn’t be safe in work. They say you never expect to see your child go off to work and to get a phone call to say that they have had an incident and might not survive.”
In the subsequent legal proceedings, Sheridan Skips Burnley Limited, located in Cathedral Gates, Manchester, pleaded guilty to violating Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The court imposed a fine of £24,000 and mandated that the company cover additional costs amounting to £4,777 at Blackburn Magistrates’ Court on March 11, 2026.
Reflecting on the case, HSE inspector Anthony Banks commented on the preventability of the injuries sustained by Mr Campion, stressing the need for the implementation of stringent safety measures in environments where workers are exposed to moving vehicles. He noted, “This young man’s injuries could so easily have been avoided with the implementation of safe working practices, including pedestrian and vehicle segregation and safe refuges for workers whilst vehicles were operating. These measures would have ensured that workers present in the yard were not put at risk of being struck by vehicles moving in and around where they were working.”
Mr Banks’ remarks serve as a significant reminder for businesses within the waste industry to critically assess and enhance their workplace transport safety measures. The importance of safeguarding workers through effective risk management cannot be overstated, particularly in settings where the interplay of pedestrian and vehicular traffic is a daily reality.
The prosecution has been bolstered by the support of HSE enforcement lawyer Julian White and paralegal officer Hannah Snelling. Their efforts emphasise the critical role of regulatory bodies in holding organisations accountable and ensuring compliance with health and safety legislation.
The HSE functions as the national regulator in the UK dedicated to maintaining workplace health and safety standards. Its mission includes protecting the welfare of individuals while promoting environments conducive to safe and healthy living and working conditions across various sectors.
Additional resources and guidance related to workplace transport safety and protocols for handling recyclables can be accessed through the HSE’s official channels. These guidelines not only serve to inform and educate employers and employees but also create a framework for best practices that can prevent similar incidents in the future.
As businesses navigate the complexities of operational safety, the lessons learned from this incident will hopefully prompt a wider reassessment of risk management strategies within the industry, safeguarding the wellbeing of all employees and ensuring such tragic accidents are prevented going forward.
Our Thoughts
To prevent the incident involving Mr. Campion, Sheridan Skips Burnley Limited should have conducted a suitable and sufficient risk assessment as required under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. This assessment should have identified the risks associated with the operation of telehandlers in proximity to pedestrians and implemented effective control measures, including the segregation of vehicle and pedestrian traffic, to prevent such accidents.
Key safety lessons include the necessity for physical barriers or safe refuges for workers in areas where vehicle movement occurs. Additionally, ensuring that vehicles, such as the telehandler, are equipped with appropriate safety features like mirrors to enhance visibility during reversing is crucial for worker safety.
Sheridan Skips Burnley Limited breached Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 by failing to provide a safe working environment. To prevent similar incidents, businesses in the waste sector must prioritize workplace transport safety, conduct regular safety audits, and adopt a proactive approach towards employee training in vehicle operation and safety protocols.
