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

Brief Summary

HSE found multiple health and safety failings at a waste and recycling site, including skips stacked in a way that increased the risk of collapse and vehicle and pedestrian routes that were not safely separated. Despite having a traffic plan, it was not visible to staff or visitors and did not reflect current site layout, and enforcement action had previously been taken. The employer pleaded guilty and was fined.

What Was The Incident?

On 11 August 2022, HSE inspectors visited a waste and recycling site where vehicles including tipper lorries and loading shovels were driven around the yard. The pedestrian entrance was chained and padlocked, and pedestrians were forced to use the vehicle entrance route. There were no effective designated pedestrian routes or crossing points, even though pedestrians and vehicles needed to circulate safely. Inspectors also observed skips stacked unsafely, with some deformed and stacked three high in places. The stack height and deformation increased instability and the likelihood of collapse or a skip falling. The skips were located in an area regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles, creating a serious risk of death or serious personal injury if a skip fell. HSE later found the employer had a visual traffic plan, but it was not visible to staff or visitors and was out of date because the site configuration had changed, including key pedestrian movements such as access across the yard to toilets. Improvement notices were served and a further visit took place 11 days later to check compliance. HSE also noted earlier enforcement history in 2019, including prohibition notices related to stockpiling and risks of collapse.

What Was The Outcome?

The employer pleaded guilty to two offences under s33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £167,000. The employer was also ordered to pay £16,195 in costs. The case highlights the seriousness of poor site organisation and failure to prevent foreseeable risks, particularly where enforcement action had already been taken previously.

Key Points To Consider

Prevent vehicle and pedestrian conflicts through clear site layout. Designate and mark pedestrian routes and crossing points so people can move around the site without using vehicle routes, and ensure vehicle movements are planned to avoid unnecessary interaction with pedestrians.

Use traffic management controls that people can actually follow. A traffic plan is not enough if it is not visible to staff or visitors and does not reflect the current site layout. Keep traffic information up to date and align it with real pedestrian movements.

Control the risk from stored plant and materials. Treat skip stockpiling and similar storage as a potential collapse hazard, especially when loads are large and heavy, deformed, or stacked to heights that increase instability.

Remove storage from areas regularly used by workers. Do not place unstable or hazardous stockpiles in locations that are regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles, since this creates a high consequence risk if items fall.

Act on past enforcement and ensure duties are embedded. Where previous enforcement action has already identified similar shortcomings, ensure corrective actions are implemented promptly, verified for effectiveness, and sustained so risks are actually reduced in day to day operations.

HSE Prosecution Link