Waste Company Fined After Unsafe Skip Stockpiling and Poor Vehicle Pedestrian Separation

Brief Summary

HSE found multiple health and safety failures at a waste and recycling site, including lack of effective segregation between pedestrians and vehicles and skips stacked three high in areas accessed by workers. The employer was found to have put people at risk of death or serious personal injury and was fined after pleading guilty.

What Was The Incident?

During an HSE visit in August 2022, inspectors observed that vehicles and loading equipment were driven around the yard with no effective pedestrian routes or crossing points. The pedestrian entrance was chained and padlocked, forcing pedestrians to use the same route as lorries and other vehicles. Although the employer had a visual traffic plan, it was not visible to staff or visitors and was out of date because the site layout had changed, so it did not address key pedestrian movement such as access to toilet facilities. Inspectors also found skips unsafely stacked, with some deformed skip units adding to instability. In places, stacks were three high, increasing the likelihood of collapse or falling. The skips were located in an area regularly accessed by workers either on foot or in vehicles, meaning people were exposed to significant risk if a skip fell or collapsed. Improvement notices were served with required actions within a specified timescale, and a later investigation found the employer had previously faced enforcement action for similar issues.

What Was The Outcome?

The employer pleaded guilty to two offences under section 33(1)(a). It was fined £167,000 and ordered to pay £16,195 in costs. HSE also noted that prohibition notices had previously been served in 2019 relating to stockpiling and the risk of collapse.

Key Points To Consider

Keep pedestrians and vehicles properly separated. Plan and implement clear pedestrian routes and crossing points so people do not have to use vehicle routes, including ensuring entrances and access arrangements support safe movement across the site.

Maintain an effective traffic management plan. A traffic plan must be visible to staff and visitors and kept up to date when the site layout or work patterns change, so it still covers real pedestrian movements.

Control risks from stockpiling heavy items. Ensure skips and other heavy stored items are stacked in a way that prevents instability, including addressing any signs of deformation and managing stack height to reduce the risk of collapse.

Avoid placing hazardous storage in frequently used areas. Do not store skips in locations that are regularly accessed by workers on foot or by vehicles unless adequate controls prevent people from being struck by falling or collapsing loads.

Act decisively on enforcement history. If enforcement action or notices have already identified similar compliance failings, ensure corrective actions fully address the underlying hazards rather than treating them as repeated or minor issues.

HSE Prosecution Link