Injuries sustained by the worker included a bone fracture, as well as muscle and nerve damage to his leg. The worker was hand picking waste when he was hit from behind by a moving shovel loader. The digger drove over him and had to reverse when the alarm was raised by nearby colleagues. HSE's investigation found that workers were hand picking waste after the conveyor belt previously used had been removed after it was significantly damaged in a fire a few months earlier. This meant: - workers were required to work directly on the ground, near moving vehicles with no separation between them, putting the workers in considerable danger
- there was no risk assessment and a lack of supervision for picking and sorting waste on the ground
You can view CCTV footage and read more about the incident in our press release: Fine for waste firm after man run over on his first day of work.
You can visit our news centre for more on recent enforcement cases, which include: Workers are as likely to have an accident in the first 6 months at a workplace as during the rest of their working life. Anyone new to the workplace will be facing unfamiliar risks from the job they will be doing and from their surroundings. We have guidance to protect those new to a job, which includes an in-depth guide to the 6 steps to protect new workers: - capability
- induction
- control measures
- information
- supervision
- check understandingÂ
There is also guidance to help users and suppliers of gig economy, agency and temporary workers.
April is Stress Awareness Month â make sure you make it routine to prevent stress and support mental health at work. Stress is one of the leading causes of sickness absence in the workplace, with HSEâs latest statistics showing around half of reported ill-health is related to stress, depression or anxiety. HSEâs Working Minds campaign has free online learning for employers. This will help you to come away with an understanding of the law and what you need to do to be compliant. Register for our free Working Minds online learning. In addition, HSE offers the following training courses, which have been designed to help you understand your legal obligations and take practical steps to manage work-related stress more effectively: Come and join HSE, where you can develop your career and help protect people and places. We currently have a range of vacancies, which include: | 
