Waste Company Fined After Unsafe Skip Stockpiling and Poor Traffic Management

Brief Summary

HSE found multiple health and safety failures at a waste and recycling site, including poor segregation of pedestrians and vehicles and skips stacked in a way that increased the risk of collapse. The company had previously faced enforcement action, making the shortcomings more serious. It pleaded guilty and was fined.

What Was The Incident?

When HSE inspectors visited in August 2022, they observed vehicles and loading equipment being driven freely around the site while pedestrian routes were effectively controlled through a chained and padlocked pedestrian entrance. Pedestrians were forced to use the same route as lorries and other vehicles, with no effective segregation using 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 Although a visual traffic plan existed, it was not visible to staff or visitors and was out of date because the site layout had changed since it was produced, including failing to account for pedestrian movements such as access across the yard to toilets. Inspectors also found skips stacked unsafely, with some skips deformed and a stack height of up to three high in places. Skips were located in areas regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles, creating a significant risk of falls and collapse.

What Was The Outcome?

The employer pleaded guilty to two offences and was fined £167,000, ordered to pay £16,195 in costs. HSE had previously served prohibition notices in 2019 related to stockpiling and risks of collapse, and improvement notices were served following the August 2022 visit requiring action within specified timescales.

Key Points To Consider

Ensure effective segregation between pedestrians and vehicles. Plan and manage safe circulation so pedestrians have proper routes and crossing arrangements that do not force them to use vehicle routes, particularly where reversing or large vehicle movements occur.

Keep traffic management information current and visible. A traffic plan is not enough if it is not visible to those on site and does not reflect current site layout and pedestrian movement patterns.

Control skip storage to prevent collapse and falling loads. Avoid stacking that increases instability or collapse risk, including considering deformation and stack height, and keep skips away from areas regularly accessed by workers.

Act on known legal duties and past enforcement. Where enforcement has previously been taken, review and improve systems promptly rather than allowing known issues such as stockpiling risks to persist.

Use enforcement findings to strengthen site safety controls. Improvement notices should trigger focused corrective action, verification of effective segregation and storage controls, and ongoing review to ensure risks are truly addressed.

HSE Prosecution Link