Waste Company Fined After Unsafe Skip Stockpiling and Poor Vehicle Pedestrian Separation

Brief Summary

An HSE investigation found multiple health and safety failings at a waste and recycling site, including unsafe three high skip stockpiling and inadequate segregation of pedestrians and vehicles. The case highlights the need for effective traffic management, safe stacking arrangements and timely action on identified risks.

What Was The Incident?

HSE inspectors visited a waste and recycling site and observed vehicles being driven around the yard, including tipper lorries and loading shovels. A pedestrian entrance was chained and padlocked, forcing pedestrians to use the same route as vehicles. 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 Although a visual traffic plan existed, it was not visible to staff or visitors and was out of date because the site layout had changed, including pedestrian movements to access toilets. Inspectors also found skips unsafely stacked, with some skips deformed. In places the stacks were three high, increasing the likelihood of collapse or falling. The skips were located in an area regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles, creating a high risk of falls.

What Was The Outcome?

The employer pleaded guilty to two offences under s33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act for failing to fulfil duties under sections 2 and 3 by putting people on site at risk of death and serious personal injury. The company was fined £167,000 and ordered to pay £16,195 costs. The case followed improvement notices requiring corrective action within a specified timescale and a further HSE visit after earlier enforcement, including prohibition notices in 2019 relating to stockpiling and risks of collapse.

Key Points To Consider

Provide effective vehicle and pedestrian separation. Ensure pedestrians have safe, designated routes and crossing points that do not conflict with vehicle movements, especially where vehicles reverse or operate freely around the site.

Keep traffic management information current and usable. A traffic plan must be visible to staff and visitors and updated when site layout changes, so it reflects real pedestrian movements such as access to welfare facilities.

Control skip stacking so collapse cannot compromise people. Manage the risks from the size and weight of skips by preventing unsafe stacking, taking account of any deformation and avoiding placing stacks in areas that workers routinely pass or work in.

Act quickly on enforcement and identified risks. When improvement notices or similar actions are issued, carry out the required changes within the stated timescale and verify that the measures actually reduce exposure to vehicles and falling loads.

Use previous enforcement as a prompt for immediate improvement. Where there has been earlier enforcement relating to stockpiling and collapse risks, treat it as clear evidence that controls must be strengthened and maintained rather than repeated assessments or assumptions.

HSE Prosecution Link