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

Brief Summary

HSE found multiple health and safety failings at a waste and recycling site, including skips stacked up to three high, poor control of vehicle and pedestrian movements, and an out of date traffic plan that did not reflect current site use. The company had previously been subject to enforcement action related to skip stockpiling and collapse risks, but breaches continued.

What Was The Incident?

When HSE inspectors visited in August 2022, they observed vehicles and loading equipment being driven around the site without effective pedestrian and vehicle separation. The pedestrian entrance was secured, forcing people to use the same route as lorries and other vehicles. The traffic management arrangements lacked designated pedestrian routes or safe crossing points. Although the employer had a visual traffic plan, it was not visible to staff or visitors and it was out of date after changes to the site layout, including pedestrian movements to toilets. Inspectors also found skips stacked unsafely, with some deformed skips and stacks reaching three high in places. Skips were placed in an area regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles, increasing the risk of collapse or falls.

What Was The Outcome?

The employer pleaded guilty to two offences under s33(1)(a) of the Act. It was fined £167,000 and ordered to pay £16,195 in costs. Following the initial visit, improvement notices were served with actions required within a specified timescale, and HSE later confirmed earlier enforcement history including prohibition notices served in 2019 relating to stockpiling and risks of collapse.

Key Points To Consider

Separate pedestrians and vehicles effectively. Provide clear segregation through designated pedestrian routes and safe crossing points so people are not forced to use the same areas as lorries and other vehicles.

Keep site traffic plans visible and current. Ensure traffic management information is visible to staff and visitors and is reviewed when the site layout or movement patterns change so it reflects actual pedestrian movements.

Control reversal and movement risks for large vehicles. Where large vehicles reverse, identify the additional risks and apply suitable extra precautions to protect people working nearby.

Prevent unsafe stockpiling and address stability risks. Avoid stacking that increases collapse likelihood, take account of skip condition and deformation, and assess where skips are placed so they are not in areas regularly accessed by workers.

Respond quickly and robustly to enforcement history. Prior prohibition notices were already issued, so the employer still needed effective corrective action and assurance that improvements were implemented and maintained within the required timescales.

HSE Prosecution Link