Waste Company Fined After Unsafe Skip Stockpiling and Poor Traffic Management

Brief Summary

The HSE found multiple health and safety failures at a waste and recycling site, including skips piled three high in areas where people needed to move around. Inspectors also identified unsafe site traffic arrangements, with vehicles and pedestrians sharing routes and a traffic plan that was not visible or current. The employer pleaded guilty to offences and was fined, with costs ordered.

What Was The Incident?

HSE inspectors visited the site and observed tipper lorries and loading shovels moving around the yard. The pedestrian entrance was padlocked and chained, so pedestrians had to use routes intended for vehicles. There was 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 the site layout, including how pedestrians needed to access toilets. Inspectors also found skips stacked unsafely, including skips that were deformed, with stacks up to three high in places. The stacking height and condition of skips increased instability and the risk of collapse or falling. Skips were located in areas regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles.

What Was The Outcome?

The employer pleaded guilty to two offences relating to failing duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act. The company was fined £167,000 and ordered to pay £16,195 in costs. HSE also noted the company had previously been subject to enforcement action, with prohibition notices in 2019 about stockpiling and risks of collapse, and improvement notices were served after a further visit following initial concerns.

Key Points To Consider

Separate pedestrians and vehicles so they do not rely on unsafe sharing of space. Use designated pedestrian routes and crossing points, and ensure pedestrians have a safe way to move that does not force them onto vehicle routes, especially around reversing and large vehicle movements.

Keep site traffic arrangements current and visibly communicated. A traffic plan is only effective if it is visible to those on site and updated when the site layout changes, including key pedestrian movements such as access to welfare facilities.

Control skip storage to prevent collapse and falling. Do not store skips in a way that increases instability, such as stacking too high or using deformed skips, and assess the collapse consequences when high weight loads are involved.

Do not place stored items in routes that people regularly need to use. Avoid locating skips in areas routinely accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles, because falling risks apply where people must pass.

Treat previous enforcement as a trigger to improve, not a reason to repeat failures. Where earlier enforcement action has highlighted legal duties, ensure changes are made and verified within the required timescales, and address the specific risks identified by inspectors.

HSE Prosecution Link