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

Brief Summary

The HSE found multiple health and safety failures at a waste and recycling site, including skips piled three high, poor pedestrian and vehicle segregation, and traffic planning that was out of date. The employer was prosecuted for placing people on site at risk of death or serious injury and was fined after improvement notices followed an earlier enforcement history.

What Was The Incident?

HSE inspectors visited the site and observed that vehicles were driven around freely, while the pedestrian entrance was chained and padlocked. Pedestrians had to use the same route used by lorries and other vehicles, with no effective segregation using designated pedestrian routes or crossing points. Although a visual traffic plan existed, it was not visible to staff or visitors and did not reflect changes to site layout, including key pedestrian movements to toilets. Inspectors also found skips stacked unsafely, with some deformed and piled up to three high in places, increasing the likelihood of collapse or falling. The skips were located in an area regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles, further increasing the risk of a falling stack.

What Was The Outcome?

After improvement notices were served requiring action within a set timescale, further investigation found the employer had previously been subject to enforcement action, including prohibition notices in 2019 relating to skip stockpiling and collapse risks. The employer pleaded guilty to two offences under s33(1)(a). It was fined £167,000 and ordered to pay £16,195 in costs.

Key Points To Consider

Ensure vehicles and pedestrians are properly segregated. Do not rely on informal movement around the yard; provide clear pedestrian routes and crossing arrangements so people are not forced to share vehicle routes.

Keep traffic management arrangements visible and current. A traffic plan is only effective if it is visible to staff and visitors and updated when site layout or patterns of movement change.

Control the way skips and similar loads are stacked. Stacks must be stable and account for the size and weight of skips, including what happens if a stack collapses or skips fall.

Avoid placing hazardous storage where people routinely pass. Do not locate skip stacks in areas that workers regularly access on foot or by vehicle if there is a realistic risk of collapse or falling items.

Use enforcement history to drive sustained compliance. If you have previously received enforcement action, review and improve controls urgently to address the same legal duties and prevent repeat failures.

HSE Prosecution Link