Waste Company Fined for Unsafe Skip Stockpiling and Weak 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 that workers regularly used and traffic arrangements that did not protect pedestrians from vehicle movements. The employer had also previously received prohibition notices about stockpiling and collapse risk, making the lack of improvement a key factor.

What Was The Incident?

During an HSE visit on 11 August 2022, inspectors observed vehicles and plant, including tipper lorries and loading shovels, moving around the site while pedestrian routes were not effectively segregated from vehicle movements. The pedestrian entrance was chained and padlocked, forcing pedestrians to use the vehicle entrance route. No effective segregation by designated pedestrian routes or crossing points was in place. Although a visual traffic plan existed, it was not visible to staff or visitors and was out of date due to changes to the site layout. Inspectors also found skips that were unsafely stacked. Some skips were deformed, and the stack height was three high in places. This increased the likelihood of collapse or falling, and the skips were located in an area regularly accessed by workers, on foot or in vehicles.

What Was The Outcome?

The HSE served improvement notices requiring corrective action within a specified timescale. After a further HSE visit 11 days later, the investigation identified that the employer had previously been subject to enforcement action, including prohibition notices in 2019 relating to stockpiling and collapse risks. The employer pleaded guilty to two offences under s33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. It was fined £167,000 and ordered to pay £16,195 in costs.

Key Points To Consider

Ensure vehicles and pedestrians are effectively separated. Organise site circulation so pedestrians have safe routes, crossing points, and clear segregation from lorry and plant movements, rather than being channelled into vehicle routes.

Keep traffic management plans visible and current. A traffic plan must be actively communicated to staff and visitors and updated when the site layout or work patterns change, so it covers real pedestrian movement routes such as access to welfare facilities.

Control skip storage to prevent collapse and falling hazards. Avoid unsafe stacking arrangements and take account of skip condition and stability so that deformed skips and excessive stack heights do not create collapse or falling risks.

Do not store hazardous materials in areas people regularly access. Keep stockpiled items away from routes and work areas that workers regularly use on foot or in vehicles, so falls from height and falling objects cannot affect people moving through the yard.

Use prior enforcement as a trigger to improve systems, not just comply with notices. Where earlier prohibition or enforcement action has already highlighted legal duties, ensure robust corrective action is implemented and sustained across the site, not delayed until further visits.

HSE Prosecution Link