Recycling firm fined for endangering employees

A recycling business has been fined £300 plus costs for risking the safety of workers by not providing them with necessary training.

The firm in question is called BB Recycling and its director, Russell Wayne Armer, was found to be operating without the necessary insurance. He was given a suspended prison sentence and a small fine.

The Magistrates’ Court in Northampton also acted to try to bar Armer from being the director of any company for a period of five years. In addition, Armer may be prohibited from having any controlling position in a business until the time has passed.

Although the case revolved around a lack of protection for forklift operators, recycling can be a dangerous activity generally and appropriate workwear should be used.

Roger Amery of the Health and Safety Executive said:

“Employees were placed in unnecessary danger, but thankfully the situation was resolved before any one was injured. The requirement to train fork lift operators is long established across all industries so there is no excuse for this company and its director to blatantly ignore what was required.”

Training workers who use forklifts is clearly very important. Not doing so breaches specific points of health and safety legislation that came into law in 1974 and in 1989. BB Recycling pleaded guilty to the charges made. A notice to get the recycling firm to improve its practices was issued during 2011, but both this and a reminder in the next year were not acted upon.