Fine for waste firm Wheeldon Brothers Waste after man run over

Worker “lucky to be alive” after being run over by shovel loader on first day at work

A waste and recycling company in Oldham named Wheeldon Brothers Waste Limited has been fined £250,000 after a worker was seriously injured when a moving shovel loader struck him on his first day on the job.

The 40-year-old man had been hand-picking waste at Wheeldon Brothers Waste Limited’s Mossdown Road site when the heavy vehicle hit him from behind, driving over him before reversing when colleagues raised the alarm.

CCTV footage captured the July 28, 2021 incident, which left the worker — now 44 — with a fractured bone, nerve damage, and muscle injuries to his leg. He spent a week in hospital before eventually returning to work at another company.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation revealed the conveyor belt normally used for sorting waste had been damaged in a fire months earlier, forcing employees to pick waste manually on the ground — directly in the path of moving vehicles.

There was no risk assessment, no supervision, and no segregation between pedestrians and heavy machinery, despite HSE guidance clearly stating that pedestrians and moving vehicles must be kept apart during manual waste sorting.

Following the incident, HSE issued a safety bulletin warning the waste sector about the dangers of wheeled loading shovels, which have multiple blind spots and limited visibility.

At Manchester Magistrates’ Court on April 2, 2025, Wheeldon Brothers Waste Limited, of Bury New Road, Bury, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £250,000 and ordered to pay £4,102.32 in costs.

HSE principal inspector Lisa Bailey described the victim as “lucky to be alive,” adding:

“Vehicles such as shovel loaders require plenty of space due to the number of blind spots and poor visibility.

This incident was easily avoidable by implementing control measures and safe practices. Workers should never have been placed in harm’s way without rigorous segregation between vehicles and pedestrians, along with safe refuges for staff while machinery was operating.”

She stressed that the case should serve as a stark reminder to the waste industry to properly manage workplace transport risks and enforce strict safety measures.

The prosecution was led by HSE enforcement lawyer Sam Crockett, supported by paralegal officer Louisa Shaw.