Biffa fined nearly £2.5m after Yorkshire worker killed by reversing skip wagon
Biffa Waste Services Ltd was fined £2.48 million and ordered to pay full costs of £5,768.06 at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on October 15 2025.
A waste management company has been fined £2.48 million after a worker was run over by a reversing skip wagon at a waste transfer station in Bradford.
James Tabiri, 57, was working as a sort line operative at Biffa Waste Services Ltd’s waste transfer site in Bradford. On August 10 2023, while making his way to the site office across the weighbridge, 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.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (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.
Biffa Waste Services Ltd, of Coronation Road, Cressex, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, 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 full costs of £5,768.06 at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on October 15 2025.
Following the hearing, Elliot Archer, HSE inspector, 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.”
Gary Carvell, Biffa’s Health and Safety Director, said: “On behalf of the company, I wish to extend my deepest sympathies to the family, friends and colleagues of Mr Tabiri.
“The health and safety of our staff, contractors, visitors and members of the public is our overriding priority.
“We recognise in this case that the arrangements in place to ensure the safe separation of pedestrians and vehicles were not effective and we accept full responsibility for the breaches accepted in court. “Immediately following the incident, we carried out a comprehensive health and safety review of the site and made several changes to reduce the likelihood of further harm. We are committed to workplace safety across all our UK sites.”
The prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Arfaq Nabi and paralegal officer Melissa Wardle.
By law, employers must ensure traffic routes can be used without putting workers at risk. Guidance on managing vehicle movements in the workplace is available at Transport movements - HSE.