Waste Company Fined After Dangerous Skip Stockpiling and Weak Site Traffic Controls

Brief Summary

HSE investigated a waste and recycling operation after finding unsafe traffic arrangements and dangerously stockpiled skips that could collapse. The employer had previously been subject to enforcement action, but continued to put people at risk.

What Was The Incident?

At the employer site, vehicles were able to move around freely, while pedestrian access was controlled poorly. The pedestrian entrance was padlocked, forcing pedestrians to use a route intended for lorries and other vehicles, with no effective segregation through designated pedestrian routes or crossing points. Staff and visitors also could not access the visual traffic plan because it was not visible and was out of date following changes to the site layout. HSE also found skips stacked up to three high in places, with some deformed skips that increased instability. The skips were positioned in an area regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles, creating a high risk of falling or collapse, described as potentially catastrophic.

What Was The Outcome?

The employer pleaded guilty to two offences under section 33(1)(a). It was fined £167,000 and ordered to pay £16,195 in costs. HSE had also served improvement notices after the first visit, requiring specific actions within a set timescale, and the employer had previously received prohibition notices in 2019 related to stockpiling and risks of collapse.

Key Points To Consider

Prevent pedestrians and vehicles from mixing unsafely. Ensure pedestrian routes and crossing arrangements are clearly designated and actively managed so people are not forced to use vehicle routes, including where large vehicles circulate or reverse.

Keep traffic management plans current and visible. A visual traffic plan must be accessible to staff and visitors and updated when site layout and traffic patterns change, so it reflects real pedestrian movements such as access across the yard to facilities.

Control skip storage to stop collapse and falling risks. Do not stockpile skips in areas that people regularly access on foot or in vehicles, and take account of skip size and weight and any deformation that could make stacks unstable.

Use enforcement history to drive real improvement. If HSE has previously taken enforcement action on related issues, treat it as a clear signal to review and fully address legal duties rather than repeating the same failures.

Act quickly when improvement notices are served. Respond to improvement notices within the required timescales and verify the site changes on the ground, including traffic segregation and safe storage arrangements, not just through paperwork.

HSE Prosecution Link