Waste Company Fined for Unsafe Skip Stockpiling and Poor Traffic Management

Brief Summary

HSE identified multiple health and safety failings at a waste and recycling site, including skips stacked three high in places and poor arrangements for pedestrian and vehicle movement. The employer had previously received enforcement notices relating to stockpiling and collapse risks. The company pleaded guilty to offences and was fined.

What Was The Incident?

During an HSE visit to the site, inspectors found vehicles including tipper lorries and loading shovels moving around the yard. Pedestrian access was chained and padlocked, so pedestrians were forced to use the same route as vehicles. There was no effective segregation, such as designated pedestrian routes or crossing points, and no visible or current traffic plan to manage how staff and visitors moved around the yard. Inspectors also found skips stacked in an unsafe way, with some deformed skips. The stacking height was up to three high in places, increasing the risk of collapse or falling. The skips were positioned in areas regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles, creating a serious risk if skips fell.

What Was The Outcome?

The employer pleaded guilty to two offences under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. It was fined £167,000 and ordered to pay £16,195 in costs. HSE had previously served prohibition notices in 2019 relating to stockpiling and risks of collapse, and improvement notices were served after the 11 August 2022 visit requiring remedial action within a specified timescale.

Key Points To Consider

Separate pedestrians and vehicles effectively. Provide clear designated pedestrian routes and crossing arrangements so people are not forced to walk through vehicle movement areas.

Keep traffic management plans current and visible. Ensure any traffic plan is available to staff and visitors, and update it when the site layout changes so it reflects the actual movement patterns.

Control skip storage to prevent collapse. Do not allow skips to be stacked in a way that can become unstable, including avoiding excessive stacking height and preventing damaged or deformed containers from being used in stacks.

Avoid storing hazards in areas people routinely access. Keep skip storage away from frequently used routes and work areas where workers pass on foot or where vehicles move, reducing the likelihood and impact of falling items.

Act on repeat enforcement and known legal duties. If you have already been warned about stockpiling and collapse risks, treat enforcement outcomes as a prompt to make lasting changes rather than relying on temporary fixes.

HSE Prosecution Link