Waste Company Fined for Unsafe Skip Stockpiling and Poor Site Segregation

Brief Summary

The regulator found multiple health and safety failures at a waste and recycling site, including pedestrians being routed through vehicle areas, a traffic plan that was not visible or up to date, and skips being stockpiled unsafely in locations where workers regularly passed. The company pleaded guilty and was fined, with costs ordered, following earlier enforcement action for similar risks.

What Was The Incident?

Health and Safety Executive inspectors visited the site and observed tipper lorries and loading shovels being driven around the yard while pedestrian access was chained and padlocked. Pedestrians were forced to use the same route as lorries and other vehicles, and there were no effective designated pedestrian routes or crossing points. Although a visual traffic plan existed, it was not visible to staff or visitors and had not been updated after changes to the site layout, so it did not reflect key pedestrian movements such as access to toilets. Inspectors also found skips stacked unsafely, with some deformed and stacked up to three high in places. This increased the risk of collapse or falling, and the skips were located in an area regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles.

What Was The Outcome?

The company pleaded guilty to two offences. It was fined £167,000 and ordered to pay £16,195 in costs. The enforcement action followed improvement notices served after the first inspection visit and an investigation that identified prior enforcement, including prohibition notices in 2019 relating to stockpiling and risks of collapse.

Key Points To Consider

Provide effective segregation between pedestrians and vehicles. Do not rely on barriers alone. Use clear designated pedestrian routes and crossing points so pedestrians are not forced to share vehicle routes.

Keep traffic management arrangements visible and current. Ensure any traffic plan is visible to staff and visitors and update it when site configurations change, including routes to facilities such as toilets.

Control risks from stockpiled items with known collapse hazards. Treat stacked skips as high risk due to their size and weight. Avoid unsafe stacking and address factors that affect stability such as deformation and excessive stacking height.

Manage pedestrian exposure to falling object risks. Do not place unstable or high consequence stockpiles in areas regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles.

Act decisively after enforcement or earlier warnings. Previous enforcement action did not prevent repeat hazards. Use improvement notices and earlier prohibitions to drive sustained risk reduction rather than short term compliance.

HSE Prosecution Link