Worker crushed by skip wagon
Biffa fined near £2.5 million after worker crushed by skip wagon.
What happened?
On 10 August 2023, James Tabiri, aged 57, was working as a Sort Line Operative at Biffa Waste Services’ waste transfer station in Bradford.
While walking across the weighbridge towards the site office, he was struck from behind by a reversing skip wagon.
The impact caused him to fall, and he tragically died from crush injuries caused by the vehicle’s rear wheels.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed that Biffa Waste Services had failed to effectively review and monitor control measures designed to keep pedestrians and vehicles safely separated.
CCTV footage from the week prior to the incident showed that workers frequently ignored designated pedestrian routes, with some climbing over safety barriers intended to protect them from moving vehicles.
What was the result?
Biffa Waste Services pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 5(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
The company was fined £2.48 million and ordered to pay £5,768.06 in costs at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on 15 October 2025.
The HSE emphasised that the incident was entirely preventable, as appropriate control measures were already in place but had not been properly monitored or enforced.
Lessons Learned
Employers must actively monitor and supervise safety measures to ensure they are followed in practice, not just documented on paper.
A complacent or casual attitude toward health and safety can lead to serious and avoidable fatalities.
Segregation between pedestrians and vehicles in high-risk environments must be strictly maintained and regularly reviewed.
Reversing manoeuvres are a major risk (accounting for nearly a quarter of all workplace transport deaths) and require stringent control and supervision.
Further Information
Watch the video of repetitive unsafe practices on YouTube.
Further information on this case can be found on the HSE’s Press Release.
Guidance on segregating people and vehicles can be found the HSE’s website