London Energy Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act following the incident which caused serious injury in May 2022

A waste and recycling company owned by North London Waste Authority (NLWA) has been fined £400,000 after a council worker was crushed at Edmonton Eco Park.

Paul McDaid, an Enfield Council employee, was working at the London Energy Ltd waste transfer station on 13^th May 2022 when a shovel loader reversed into him.

The 58-year-old had been closing the tailgate on his tractor after tipping waste into a nearby bay, when the vehicle reversed without realising he was there and crushed him between both vehicles. He sustained very serious injuries.

London Energy is wholly owned by NWLA, which itself is owned and operated by seven councils in Enfield, Haringey, Waltham Forest, Barnet, Islington, Hackney and Camden boroughs.

Major construction work has been taking place at Edmonton Eco Park for several years and the area where the incident occurred was a temporary unit. But an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the work was not suitably risk assessed and appropriate control measures were not implemented.

The investigation also found London Energy had also failed to implement suitable controls to segregate pedestrians and vehicles for which detailed guidance is available. Where vehicles and pedestrians share a traffic route laws state there must be enough separation between them, but the company failed to implement suitable controls to segregate pedestrians and vehicles.

At a recent Westminster Magistrates’ Court hearing, London Energy Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £400,000 and ordered to pay £5,573 in costs.

HSE inspector Pippa Knott said: “Due to the failings of this company a man has been left with very serious injuries.

“They failed to segregate pedestrians and vehicles, putting both employees and council workers at risk.

“Too many workers are injured every year as a result of being struck by moving vehicles which could be avoided by implementing suitable control measures.”

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