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

Brief Summary

HSE found multiple health and safety failings at a waste and recycling site, including skips dangerously stacked in areas people accessed and ineffective pedestrian vehicle segregation. The company also had an out of date traffic plan and previously faced enforcement action for similar risks. It pleaded guilty to offences and was fined with additional costs ordered.

What Was The Incident?

HSE visited the site and observed vehicles circulating freely, including tipper lorries and loading shovels, with pedestrians forced to use the same route as vehicles. The pedestrian entrance was padlocked 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, so it did not reflect key pedestrian movements such as access to toilets. Inspectors also found skips stacked unsafely, with some deformed and a stack height of three high in places, increasing the chance of collapse or a falling skip. 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 and was fined £167,000, with costs of £16,195 ordered. HSE reported that improvement notices were served and a further investigation followed, including reference to prohibition notices served in 2019 about stockpiling and collapse risks.

Key Points To Consider

Provide effective separation for pedestrians and vehicles. If people must move around a yard with vehicle movements, you must organise routes so pedestrian traffic is segregated and crossing points are clearly controlled rather than relying on people sharing vehicle routes.

Keep site traffic plans visible and current. A traffic plan must be accessible to staff and visitors and updated when the site layout changes so it continues to cover real pedestrian movements across the yard.

Control reversing and vehicle movement risks. Where large vehicles reverse or move close to people, employers must identify additional precautions needed and implement them to protect those working nearby.

Stop unsafe stockpiling and prevent skip instability. Inspect and manage skip stacking to prevent collapse risk, including addressing deformation of skips, limiting stacking height and ensuring skips are not placed where people regularly pass.

Act on previous enforcement and improvement notices. If you have already been subject to enforcement for similar hazards, you should treat that as a clear warning and make sustained improvements within the required timescales instead of repeating the same failures.

HSE Prosecution Link