Case study: Biffa Waste Services Ltd, October 2025
Relevance of this case
This case shows that even where an organisation has carried out risk assessments, if they don’t monitor the controls, adapting or enforcing them where they aren’t working, the results can be tragic as well as expensive. This is cited in Chapter 17 of the book, but also relevant to the chapters on control in Part two.
Events on the day
James Tabiri, 57, was a sort line operative at a waste transfer site run by Biffa Waste Services Ltd in Bradford. On 10 August 2023, he was walking to the site office. Instead of walking on the designated pedestrian route, he took a shortcut across the weighbridge, as he and many of his colleagues did regularly. Sadly, on this occasion he was struck from behind by a reversing skip wagon. The impact caused him to fall, and he died from crush injuries from the rear wheels.
Investigation
The HSE found that Biffa Waste Services Ltd failed to effectively review and monitor the control measures in place to protect pedestrians and keep them separate from vehicle movements.
CCTV footage from the week before the incident showed that it was common practice for people on site to bypass segregated pedestrian routes, with some seen climbing over barriers that were intended to keep them safe.
HSE inspector Elliot Archer said:
“This incident was easily avoidable. Control measures were in place to allow pedestrians and vehicles to move safely, but a lack of monitoring and supervision allowed poor working practices to develop between the workers on site. Our investigation found a casual attitude to health and safety with workers treating a high hazard site like a playground. Nearly a quarter of all deaths involving workplace transport occur during reversing manoeuvres. This tragic incident should be a reminder to the waste industry not to become complacent with the risks workplace transport poses, and that even where control measures are in place to segregate pedestrians and vehicles, robust monitoring and supervision of their correct usage need to be in place.”
Outcome
Biffa Waste Services Ltd, of Coronation Road, Cressex, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, pleaded guilty to breaching MHSW 5(1).
On 15 October 2025 the company was fined £2.48 million + costs of £5,768.06 at Leeds Magistrates’ Court.
Video reference
The video shows CCTV clips from the week before the accident (it does not show the accident). All these incidents occurred within a 7-day period. The unauthorised route across the weighbridge was used 55 times during that week, with over 40 other incursions onto the vehicle areas. In the 20 seconds from 0:55 to 1:05 to you will see nine people go under, over or through the barrier.
My understanding of this video is that the correct pedestrian route is to turn left out of the office door, then right to walk around the back of the weighbridge, right again to come along the safe side of the barriers at the bottom right of the picture.
See BBC coverage of this case.
The earlier Rainbow Waste Management case mentioned in Chapter 17 was covered in IOSH Magazine.
More case studies are listed in Appendix 1 by theme or Appendix 1 by date.
See the full contents list for the book
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