Waste Company Fined for Unsafe Skip Stockpiling and Poor Site Traffic Control

Brief Summary

The Health and Safety Executive found multiple failures at a waste and recycling site, including inadequate separation between pedestrians and vehicles and unsafe stacking of skips that increased the likelihood of collapse. The employer was fined and ordered to pay costs, following improvement notices and earlier prohibition action.

What Was The Incident?

HSE inspectors visited the site in August 2022 and observed vehicles such as tipper lorries and loading shovels being driven around the yard, while pedestrians were forced to use the vehicle route. The pedestrian entrance was chained and padlocked, and there were no effective designated pedestrian routes or crossing points. Although there was a visual traffic plan, it was not visible to staff or visitors and was out of date because site arrangements had changed, including movements needed to access toilets. Inspectors also found skips stacked in an unsafe way. Some skips were deformed, the stack was three high in places, and skips were located in areas that workers regularly accessed on foot or by vehicle. HSE described the risk of collapse as potentially catastrophic due to the size and weight of skips, and the location of the stacks increased the risk of falls onto people.

What Was The Outcome?

The employer pleaded guilty to two offences under section 33 1 a of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act. It was fined 167,000 and ordered to pay 16,195 in costs. HSE had previously issued prohibition notices in 2019 relating to stockpiling and risks of collapse, and improvement notices were served before the subsequent investigation.

Key Points To Consider

Maintain effective segregation between pedestrians and vehicles. Make sure pedestrian routes and crossing arrangements are clearly defined and work in practice, rather than relying on vehicle routes that pedestrians must use.

Keep traffic management plans visible and up to date. A traffic plan must be communicated to staff and visitors and reviewed when site configurations change so it still covers key pedestrian movements.

Control reversing and circulation risks around large vehicles. Where large vehicles reverse or move through shared areas, consider additional precautions and apply them where needed to protect people working nearby.

Prevent skip collapses by managing stacking safety. Avoid stacking skips in a way that allows deformation or excessive height, and assess how stacking height and condition affect stability.

Act promptly on enforcement history and improvement notices. If regulators have previously identified similar risks and issued enforcement action, you must treat subsequent notices as serious and implement the required controls within the stated timescales.

HSE Prosecution Link