Waste Company Fined After Skips Stockpiled and Pedestrians Mismanaged

Brief Summary

HSE found multiple health and safety failures at a waste and recycling site, including skips stacked three high in areas used by workers and ineffective separation of pedestrians from vehicles. Despite having a traffic plan, it was not visible, had become out of date, and did not address key pedestrian movements. The employer was prosecuted and fined, with costs ordered.

What Was The Incident?

During an HSE visit on 11 August 2022, inspectors observed tipper lorries and loading shovels being driven around the site, while the pedestrian entrance was chained and padlocked. Pedestrians were forced to use the same route as lorries and other vehicles, with no effective segregation through designated pedestrian routes or crossing points. HSE also found skips unsafely stacked, including skips piled three high in places, some described as deformed, increasing instability. The stacking height increased the likelihood of collapse or falling, and skips were located in an area regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles. Although a visual traffic plan existed, it was not visible to staff or visitors and was out of date after site changes, including failure to address access across the yard to toilets.

What Was The Outcome?

The employer pleaded guilty to two offences under s33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 for failing to fulfil duties under sections 2 and 3 by exposing employees, agency workers and other people to risk of death and or serious personal injury. A fine of 167,000 was imposed and costs of 16,195 were ordered on 5 May 2026. HSE had previously served prohibition notices in 2019 relating to stockpiling and risks of collapse, and later served improvement notices requiring corrective action within specified timescales following the August 2022 visit.

Key Points To Consider

Provide effective vehicle and pedestrian segregation. Do not rely on ad hoc routes or shared access where pedestrians and vehicles mix, especially where reversing or vehicle movements create hazards.

Keep traffic management arrangements visible and current. A traffic plan must be communicated to staff and visitors and updated when the site layout changes, including routes for access to welfare facilities.

Control storage height and condition for heavy items. Before stacking skips or similar heavy containers, assess stability and prevent unsafe stacking heights, particularly where any deformation is present.

Avoid placing unstable materials in frequently used areas. Do not stack high risk materials in zones regularly accessed by workers on foot or by vehicles, where falling or collapse would have the most severe consequences.

Act decisively on previous enforcement signals. If enforcement action has already identified stockpiling and collapse risks, treat it as a clear warning and ensure sustained control measures are in place rather than repeating the same failures.

HSE Prosecution Link