Waste Company Fined After Skips And Traffic Controls Increased Risk Of Collapse

Brief Summary

HSE prosecuted an employer in the waste and recycling industry after it found multiple site management failures including skips stacked three high, deformed skips, and inadequate segregation between vehicles and pedestrians. The employer had also received prior enforcement on stockpiling and collapse risks, but the risks remained.

What Was The Incident?

During an HSE inspection on 11 August 2022, inspectors observed tipper lorries and loading shovels being driven around the site with no effective separation of pedestrian movements from vehicle movements. The pedestrian entrance was chained and padlocked, forcing pedestrians to use the vehicle entrance route used by lorries and other vehicles. The employer relied on a visual traffic plan that was not visible to staff or visitors and was out of date after changes to site configuration, including failure to cover key pedestrian movements such as routes to toilets. Inspectors also found skips stacked unsafely, with some skips deformed. The stack height was three high in places, increasing the likelihood of collapse or falling. Skips were located in an area regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles, creating a high risk of people being struck by falling skips.

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. It was fined £167,000 and ordered to pay £16,195 in costs. The HSE had previously served prohibition notices in 2019 related to stockpiling and collapse risks, and improvement actions were required following later improvement notices after the August 2022 visit.

Key Points To Consider

Segregate pedestrians and vehicles in practice. Ensure designated pedestrian routes and crossing points are actually used on site, and that pedestrians are not forced onto vehicle routes, especially where reversing and vehicle movements create additional risk.

Keep traffic plans visible and current. A traffic plan is not enough if it is not visible to staff and visitors and does not reflect the site as it operates, including pedestrian routes such as access to welfare facilities.

Control skip and material stockpiling height and condition. Avoid stacking skips in ways that increase instability, and do not continue with stockpiling where skips are deformed or otherwise unsuitable, as collapse and falling items can lead to potentially catastrophic outcomes.

Manage storage locations so they are not in walkways or operating areas. Do not place unstable or potentially unstable storage in areas that are regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles, where falling items could hit people directly or during movements around the yard.

Respond effectively to prior enforcement and improvement notices. If enforcement action has already been taken for similar risks, make sure corrective actions are implemented and verified within timescales, and that changes address the specific hazards found during inspections rather than relying on plans or assumptions.

HSE Prosecution Link