Waste Company Fined After Unsafe Skip Stacking and Poor Vehicle Pedestrian Control

Brief Summary

The HSE found multiple health and safety failures at a waste and recycling site, including skips stacked up to three high and deformed, and pedestrians being forced to use a vehicle route because segregation was not in place. The company was previously subject to enforcement action for related stockpiling risks, yet further breaches were found and it pleaded guilty to two offences.

What Was The Incident?

During an HSE visit on 11 August 2022, inspectors observed vehicles and loading equipment being driven around the site with no effective segregation between vehicles and pedestrians. The pedestrian entrance was chained and padlocked, and pedestrians had to use the same route as lorries and other vehicles. The visual traffic plan was not visible to staff or visitors and had become out of date after changes to the site layout, including routes to key areas such as toilets. Inspectors also found skips stacked unsafely, with some deformed and stacked three high in places. The skips were located in an area regularly accessed by workers on foot and by vehicles, creating a risk of collapse or falling.

What Was The Outcome?

The HSE served improvement notices after the initial concerns and carried out a further visit 11 days later. The investigation found prior enforcement action, including prohibition notices in 2019 relating to stockpiling and risks of collapse. The company 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 safe segregation between vehicles and pedestrians. Do not rely on barriers or plans that do not work in practice, and make sure pedestrians have safe routes that are separate and managed where vehicles circulate.

Keep traffic management plans visible, current, and complete. A visual traffic plan must be accessible to staff and visitors and updated when site layouts change, including routes to essential locations such as toilets.

Control the risks of unstable stockpiled loads. If stockpiling is used, stacking height and condition must be controlled to prevent collapse or falling, especially where loads are large and heavy.

Avoid placing hazards in frequently used work areas. Do not store potentially unstable items in areas that workers regularly access on foot or by vehicle, where the consequence of falling or collapse could be severe.

Act promptly on enforcement actions and legal duties. Prior enforcement for related failings is a clear warning; improvement notices and prohibition notices must lead to effective, sustained changes rather than repeating known breaches.

HSE Prosecution Link