Waste Company Fined After Unsafe Skip Stockpiling and Poor Traffic Management

Brief Summary

The HSE found multiple health and safety failures at a waste and recycling site, including skips stacked three high in areas where workers regularly moved, and poor segregation between pedestrians and vehicles. The employer was previously subject to enforcement action for similar risks of skip stockpiling and collapse, making the breaches more serious. Two offences were proven by a guilty plea, leading to a fine and costs.

What Was The Incident?

On a site visit on 11 August 2022, inspectors observed vehicles and loading equipment moving around freely. The pedestrian entrance was chained and padlocked, forcing pedestrians to use the same route used by lorries and other vehicles. There were no effective designated pedestrian routes or crossing points, and the employer did not provide suitable segregation between pedestrians and vehicle movements. Although a visual traffic plan existed, it was not visible to staff or visitors and had become out of date due to changes in the site layout, including routes across the yard to toilet facilities. Inspectors also found skips stacked unsafely, with some skips deformed. In places the stack was three high, increasing the risk of collapse or falling. The skips were positioned in an area regularly accessed by workers on foot and in vehicles, increasing the risk of falls and serious injury.

What Was The Outcome?

The employer pleaded guilty to two offences relating to duties under the relevant provisions of health and safety legislation. It was fined £167,000 and ordered to pay £16,195 in costs. HSE had previously served prohibition notices in 2019 about stockpiling and risks of collapse. Following improvement notices served after the initial concerns, HSE carried out a further investigation 11 days later and found the failures continued.

Key Points To Consider

Segregate pedestrians from vehicles effectively. Do not rely on access arrangements that force pedestrians to share vehicle routes; use clear pedestrian routes and crossing points so that vehicles can move without putting people at risk.

Keep traffic management information current and visible. A traffic plan is not enough if it is not visible and has not been updated when the site layout changes, particularly where key pedestrian movements such as toilet access cross the yard.

Control skip stacking to prevent collapse or falling loads. Avoid unsafe stacking, including situations where skips are deformed, and consider the effect of stack height on stability and the foreseeable consequences if collapse occurs.

Manage stored materials where people must pass. Do not store large items such as skips in areas that workers regularly access on foot or in vehicles unless the risk of falling or collapse is effectively controlled.

Act promptly on prior enforcement and improvement notices. Where previous enforcement action identified similar risks, treat further notices and inspection findings as a prompt to implement lasting controls, not short term fixes.

HSE Prosecution Link