What happened
On 15 December 2023, Grace Mecaley was walking home from shopping on Walthamstow High Street. At around 5pm she was crossing the road at an authorised pedestrian crossing at the bus station. She was about two-thirds of the way across when a number 212 bus came round the corner and struck her. She died at the scene.
The HSE investigation found that TfL had not ensured pedestrians and vehicles could circulate safely at the station. The crossing sat on the apex of a bend where buses turned in, and the angle of approach meant drivers could turn towards it without a clear view of its full length. It was a 'red carpet' crossing intended to give pedestrians priority, but the layout left right of way unclear.
The part of this case that should stop people in their tracks is the history. A pedestrian had been struck by a bus in similar circumstances in April 2022, yet the crossing was never risk assessed. CCTV also captured five near misses in the two days before Mrs Mecaley was killed. HSE found TfL had not adequately monitored drivers operating at the station either.
TfL pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 17(1) of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, which requires workplaces to be organised so that pedestrians and vehicles can circulate safely. It was fined £2 million and ordered to pay £5,081 costs.
Why it matters
Most organisations do not run bus stations, but a great many have yards, car parks, loading bays and delivery areas where people on foot and vehicles share the same space. Workplace transport remains one of the main causes of serious and fatal injuries at work, and the Regulation 17 duty applies to all of those sites.
The wider lesson is about what happens to warning signs. Many businesses now collect near-miss reports and have CCTV covering their sites. That information is only useful if someone looks at it and acts. A previous collision and repeated near misses at the same spot are about as clear a signal as you will get that the layout is not working. In court, that history shows the risk was foreseeable and the opportunity to act was there.
It is also worth noting that the case turned on design and layout rather than individual driver error. Painted markings and priority signs did not overcome a crossing positioned where drivers could not see it properly. The Workplace Regulations ACOP (L24) and HSE's guidance on workplace transport (HSG136) both point towards separating people and vehicles, avoiding sharp or blind bends at crossing points, and giving clear visibility in both directions.
Practical takeaways for employers
- Walk your site and mark every point where pedestrian and vehicle routes cross. For each one, check whether drivers and pedestrians can see each other clearly in good time, and whether right of way is obvious to both.
- Set a trigger so that any collision or near miss at a crossing point leads to a documented review of the layout, not just a reminder to drivers. Track repeat locations so patterns are visible.
- If you rely on drivers following site rules, check that someone is actually monitoring compliance. Supervision is part of the control, not an optional extra.
Add comment
Comments