Waste Management Company Fined After Employee Falls From Compost Screening Machine

Brief Summary

A green waste recycling company was fined after an employee suffered a broken leg when falling from a compost screening machine while clearing a blockage. The HSE found failures in risk assessment, safe work procedures, and protection against access to dangerous parts.

What Was The Incident?

On 16 February 2024, an employee at a green waste recycling site climbed onto a compost screening machine to clear a blockage from the fan housing. The machine was suspended at height inside a barn. He slipped, trapping his leg between the machine and its frame, and then fell backwards onto a gantry and struck his head while his leg remained trapped.

What Was The Outcome?

The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It was fined £14,000 and ordered to pay £6,500 in costs at Brighton Magistrates' Court on 16 March 2026.

What Lessons Can Be Learnt?

Identify and assess fall risks during cleaning. Risk assessments must specifically cover hazardous cleaning activities, including falls from height linked to unguarded edges and parts that require access.

Provide a safe system of work for unblocking. Standard operating procedures must give clear instructions on how to safely clean and unblock machinery, so workers know the correct safe method for the task.

Prevent access to dangerous machine parts during cleaning. Safety controls must stop workers reaching hazardous areas during maintenance and clearing tasks, including ensuring interlocks work as intended for all relevant components.

Use suitable working at height measures for the task. Where work at height is unavoidable, equipment and guarding must be suitable, stable, strong, and properly arranged to prevent falls, including protection around components such as fan housing.

Ensure risk controls allow safe entry and exit. Employers must plan, supervise, and carry out working at height so employees can safely access the work area and leave it, without relying on measures that can be bypassed.

HSE Prosecution Link