Man ‘lucky to be alive’ after being run over at new job

Horrifying footage has emerged of the moment a man was run over by an industrial shovel loader on his first day at a new job.

A man is “lucky to be alive” after being hit by an industrial digger on his first day at a new job.

The CCTV footage, which occurred in 2021, has been released following a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation saw a family-owned waste company cop a hefty fine.

The footage shows a then 40-year-old man hand-picking waste at a recycling site in Oldham, UK.

The worker is wearing bright orange pants as he starts his first day of work. Picture: YouTube/Health and Safety Executive

The man, wearing bright orange pants, picks up waste before a large shovel loader reverses at speed, knocking him to the ground.

The truck can then be seen driving over the man before quickly backing up after horrified colleagues raised the alarm.

The large truck reverses over the man as he picks up waste. Picture: YouTube/Health and Safety Executive

The man can be seen on the floor as horrified colleagues rush to his aid. Picture: YouTube/Health and Safety Executive

The incident happened at Wheeldon Brothers Waste Limited site.

The company describes itself as a “family-operated waste management firm, delivering dependable and sustainable waste services.”

They were fined £250,000 (AU$520,101) and plead guilty to breaching the Health and Safety At Work Act 1974.

The family-owned business has copped a massive fine. Picture: Instagram/WheeldonBrothers

The man, now 44, suffered a bone fracture and muscle and nerve damage to his leg, and spent a week in hospital after the traumatising event.

A shovel loader similar to the one in the footage can weigh approximately 9602 kilograms, and could easily be fatal.

A shovel loader similar to the one in the clip was posted to the waste company's Instagram. Picture: Instagram/wheeldonbrotherswaste

The investigation found workers had been forced to hand pick rubbish after a fire damaged a purpose-built conveyor belt.

Because of this, staff had been forced to work directly on the ground, near moving vehicles with unsafe distances between them.

On top of the fine, the company was ordered to pay £4,102.32 ($8533) costs at a hearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on April 2.

Following the hearing, the HSE’s principal inspector revealed, “This man is lucky to be alive.”

“Vehicles such as shovel loaders require plenty of space due to the number of blind spots and poor visibility.”

“This incident was easily avoidable by implementing control measures and safe practices,” she added.

The man has since returned to work with a different company.

Originally published as Man ‘lucky to be alive’ after being run over at new job