Waste Company Fined After Unsafe Skip Stockpiling and Poor Traffic Segregation

Brief Summary

A waste and recycling employer was prosecuted after HSE identified multiple health and safety management failures on site, including ineffective segregation of pedestrians and vehicles and skips stacked in an unstable way. The regulator also found traffic planning shortcomings and that the employer had previously been subject to enforcement action for similar risks.

What Was The Incident?

On 11 August 2022, HSE inspectors visited a waste and recycling site where vehicles and loading equipment were driven around the yard without effective control of pedestrian routes. 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. Although a visual traffic plan existed, it was not visible to staff and visitors and was out of date because site layouts had changed, including pedestrian movements such as access across the yard to toilets. HSE also found skips stacked unsafely, with some deformed, increasing instability. The stack height was three high in places, increasing the risk of collapse or items falling. The skips were located in areas regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles, leaving people at risk if a skip fell or the stack collapsed.

What Was The Outcome?

The employer pleaded guilty to two offences. It was fined £167,000 and ordered to pay £16,195 towards costs. HSE reported that prohibition notices were served in 2019 due to stockpiling and risks of collapse, and additional improvement notices were issued following the 11 August 2022 visit requiring actions within set timescales.

Key Points To Consider

Keep pedestrians and vehicles properly segregated. Do not allow people to share uncontrolled routes with lorries and other vehicles, and ensure there are clear designated pedestrian routes and suitable crossing arrangements where needed.

Update traffic management when the site changes. A traffic plan only works if it is current and actually visible to those on site, including safe routes for pedestrians to key areas such as toilet access.

Control reversing and movement risks around large vehicles. Where large vehicles must reverse or interact with people nearby, employers must provide additional precautions to reduce the risk to anyone working in or moving through the vehicle areas.

Prevent collapse by managing stockpiling stability. Avoid stacking heavy skips in ways that can deform or become unstable, and recognise that greater stack heights increase the likelihood of collapse or falling items.

Act on previous enforcement and improvement notices. If there has been earlier enforcement for similar issues, treat that as a clear warning to review and improve control measures promptly rather than repeating the same safety weaknesses.

HSE Prosecution Link