Waste Company Fined for Unsafe Skip Stockpiling and Poor Site Traffic Control

Brief Summary

A waste and recycling company was fined following HSE findings of unsafe skip stockpiling and ineffective arrangements for separating vehicles and pedestrians. The investigation identified that site traffic controls were not working in practice and that the risks of collapse and falling objects were heightened by the way skips were stacked and where they were stored.

What Was The Incident?

On an HSE visit in August 2022, inspectors found a site where vehicles such as tipper lorries and loading shovels were driven around the yard, with no effective segregation between vehicles and pedestrians. The pedestrian entrance was chained and padlocked, forcing pedestrians to use a vehicle route used by lorries and other vehicles. Although a traffic plan existed, it was not visible to staff or visitors and was out of date because the site layout had changed. Inspectors also found skips stacked unsafely, with some skips deformed. In places the stacks were three high, increasing the likelihood of collapse or falling. Skips were located in an area regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles, creating a serious risk of skips falling.

What Was The Outcome?

The employer pleaded guilty to two offences under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act. It was fined £167,000 and ordered to pay £16,195 in costs. HSE had previously issued improvement notices requiring actions within specified timescales, and the investigation found the employer had been subject to earlier enforcement action, including prohibition notices in 2019 related to stockpiling and collapse risks.

Key Points To Consider

Provide effective vehicle and pedestrian segregation. Do not rely on informal routes or chained pedestrian access. Plan and maintain clear segregation with designated pedestrian routes and safe crossing points where needed.

Keep traffic management controls visible and current. A traffic plan must be communicated in a way people can use on site and must be updated when the site configuration changes, including pedestrian movements such as routes to welfare facilities.

Avoid unsafe stockpiling that increases collapse risk. Where items can deform or become unstable, treat this as a red flag. Control stacking height and condition to reduce the likelihood of collapse or falling objects.

Control where stored items are placed. Do not place stacked skips in areas regularly accessed by workers on foot or by vehicles unless controls are in place to prevent people being struck by falling or collapsing loads.

Act promptly on enforcement and repeat failures. If earlier enforcement has already highlighted legal duties and risks, ensure corrective actions are completed effectively and that management systems prevent the same hazards returning.

HSE Prosecution Link