Biffa Waste Fined £2.48M After Worker Killed by Reversing Vehicle

A waste management company has been fined over £2.4 million after a worker was killed at a Bradford site in 2023. James Tabiri, an employee of Biffa Waste Services Ltd, died when a reversing skip wagon ran him over at the firm's waste transfer station. The incident led to a court case that concluded this month with a guilty plea from the company.

The fatal accident happened on 10 August 2023 at Biffa's facility in Bradford. Tabiri was struck by a reversing vehicle while working near the skip wagon area. An investigation later found that staff frequently ignored designated pedestrian routes, climbing over safety barriers instead of using the proper walkways.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) discovered that Biffa had failed to properly review or enforce measures meant to keep workers safe from moving vehicles. By law, employers must ensure traffic routes pose no risk to employees, but the company had not maintained adequate controls. As a result, Biffa admitted breaching Regulation 5(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. At Leeds Magistrates' Court on 15 October 2025, the company was fined £2.48 million. The court also ordered Biffa to cover the full prosecution costs of £5,768.06.

The case follows a fatal incident that highlighted serious safety failings at the waste transfer station. Biffa's fine reflects the severity of the breach and the need for stricter workplace transport controls. No other workplace deaths involving transportation facilities were reported in Great Britain during 2023.