Waste Company Fined After Unsafe Skip Stockpiling and Poor Vehicle Pedestrian Control

Brief Summary

HSE found multiple health and safety failures at a waste and recycling site, including skips stacked up to three high, an unsafe layout that routed pedestrians through vehicle areas, and a traffic plan that was not visible and did not reflect the current site configuration. The company was prosecuted for offences relating to exposing people on site to the risk of death or serious injury, particularly in relation to collapse or falling skips.

What Was The Incident?

During an HSE visit, inspectors observed vehicles and plant being driven around the yard without effective segregation from pedestrians. The pedestrian entrance was secured so that people had to use the vehicle entrance route used by lorries and other vehicles. There were no effective designated pedestrian routes or crossing points. Inspectors also found skips that were unsafely stacked, with some skips deformed, increasing instability. In places the stack height was three high, which further increased the risk of collapse or falling. The skips were located in an area regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles.

What Was The Outcome?

The company pleaded guilty to two offences. It was fined £167,000 and ordered to pay £16,195 in costs. HSE also noted that improvement notices were served following the initial inspection and that the company had previously been subject to enforcement action, including prohibition notices in 2019 relating to stockpiling and risks of collapse.

Key Points To Consider

Control vehicle and pedestrian movement properly. Plan and organise the site so pedestrians and vehicles can circulate safely, using clear pedestrian routes and crossing points rather than forcing people through vehicle movements.

Ensure site traffic arrangements are current and communicated. A traffic plan must be visible to staff and visitors and updated when the site layout changes, including pedestrian movements to key facilities.

Manage the physical stability of stacked skips. Do not allow skips to be piled in a way that creates instability, particularly where skips are deformed and where stacking height increases the likelihood of collapse or falling.

Keep high risk storage away from areas people regularly access. Avoid placing potentially unstable loads in areas regularly used by workers on foot or by vehicles, so the risk is not realised during normal activity.

Act quickly and learn from previous enforcement. If improvement or prohibition action has already been taken for similar risks, treat this as a clear warning to correct underlying system failures, not just to respond to notices.

HSE Prosecution Link