Kier was fined £160,000 for safety failings yesterday (January 8) after an employee suffered ‘life-changing injuries’ at a household waste recycling centre in Essex.

The 29-year-old man, who does not wish to be named, was crushed between a skip loader truck and a skip when he was preparing for a pick-up at the then May Gurney operated site at Canvey Island in January 2013.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard how the skip loader was manoeuvring into a position for the pick-up but struck the worker as it was being driven through a narrow route between the full skip and a fence.

The employee sustained life-threatening injuries as a result of the incident, including broken ribs, damage to his back, shoulder and left leg, and a chip to the back of his skull. He was transported to the Royal London hospital where he suffered two collapsed lungs and was put into an induced coma for three days.

After a 17-day stay in hospital following considerable physiotherapy, the worker has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and has not been able to return to work.