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

Brief Summary

The HSE found multiple site safety failures at a waste and recycling operation, including poor separation of pedestrians and vehicles and unsafe stockpiling of skips that could have collapsed. The company had previously faced enforcement action, yet did not correct the risks, resulting in a significant fine and costs.

What Was The Incident?

During an HSE visit on 11 August 2022, inspectors observed vehicles including tipper lorries and loading shovels being driven around the site with no effective segregation between vehicles and pedestrians. The pedestrian entrance was chained and padlocked, forcing pedestrians to use the same route as lorries and other vehicles. Although a visual traffic plan existed, it was not visible to staff or visitors and was out of date because the site layout had changed, leaving it unable to address key pedestrian movements such as access across the yard to toilets. Inspectors also found skips unsafely stacked. Some skips were deformed, which increased instability. In places, the stack height was three high, increasing the risk of collapse or a skip falling. The skips were also stored in an area regularly accessed by workers, on foot or in vehicles, placing people at a high risk of being struck by falling skips.

What Was The Outcome?

After improvement notices required actions to remedy breaches within set timescales, the HSE investigation concluded that the employer failed in its duties to protect people on site from risks of death or serious personal injury. The company pleaded guilty to two offences under s33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act. It was fined £167,000 and ordered to pay £16,195 in costs.

Key Points To Consider

Keep pedestrians and vehicles properly separated. Ensure clear designated pedestrian routes and crossing points, rather than forcing people to use vehicle routes, especially where vehicles and reversing are involved.

Maintain and communicate site traffic control measures. A traffic plan must be current and visible to those on site, and it should cover actual pedestrian movement such as access routes to welfare facilities.

Prevent dangerous stockpiling of heavy items. Do not stack skips in a way that can collapse, particularly where skips are deformed or stored at heights that increase the likelihood of falling.

Do not store materials where people frequently pass. Keep unstable or potentially falling loads out of areas regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles.

Act on enforcement history and close known risks. If the business has previously received enforcement action related to stockpiling and collapse risks, treat that as a clear prompt to review and eliminate the underlying hazards rather than relying on existing arrangements.

HSE Prosecution Link