Waste Company Fined After Dangerous Skip Stockpiling and Poor Site Traffic Control

Brief Summary

The HSE found multiple health and safety failures at a waste and recycling site, including inadequate segregation between vehicles and pedestrians and skips stacked in ways that increased the risk of collapse. Enforcement action had previously been taken, making the repeat nature of the failures particularly serious. The employer pleaded guilty and was fined with costs ordered.

What Was The Incident?

HSE inspectors attended the site and saw multiple vehicles, including tipper lorries and loading shovels, being driven around the yard without effective pedestrian vehicle separation. The pedestrian entrance was chained and padlocked, forcing pedestrians to use the same route as lorries and other vehicles. There were no effective designated pedestrian routes or crossing points. Although a visual traffic plan existed, it was not visible to staff or visitors and was out of date because the site layout had changed. Inspectors also found skips unsafely stacked, with some deformed skips. In places the skips were stacked three high, increasing the likelihood of collapse or falling. Skips were located in areas regularly accessed by workers either on foot or in vehicles, placing them at risk if a skip fell.

What Was The Outcome?

The employer pleaded guilty to two offences under s33(1)(a) of the Act for failing to fulfil duties to organise the workplace so that employees, agency workers and other people were not put at risk of death or serious personal injury. The company was fined £167,000 and ordered to pay £16,195 in costs. HSE had previously served prohibition notices in 2019 relating to stockpiling and risks of collapse, and improvement notices were served after a further visit 11 days later.

Key Points To Consider

Segregate pedestrians and vehicles properly. Organise circulation so pedestrians have safe routes and crossing points, and do not rely on pedestrians being forced to use vehicle routes.

Keep traffic plans current and visible. Ensure any traffic management arrangements are visible to people on site and updated when the site layout changes, including routes used by pedestrians.

Control reversing and mixed movement risks. Where large vehicles reverse or operate near people, assess the extra risk and put additional protective measures in place for those working nearby.

Avoid unstable stockpiling and stacking heights. Do not stack heavy items in a way that increases instability, including limiting stacking heights and removing or correcting deformed skips that add to risk of collapse.

Act on earlier enforcement and improvement notice requirements. If enforcement action has already been taken, treat the underlying risks as urgent priorities and ensure remedial actions are completed effectively within required timescales.

HSE Prosecution Link