Waste Company Fined After Unsafe Skip Stockpiling And Poor Traffic Segregation

Brief Summary

The Health and Safety Executive found multiple breaches at a waste and recycling site including skips piled three high, unstable stacking and poor segregation between pedestrians and vehicle routes. The employer had not ensured that traffic arrangements were safe, visible and current, and enforcement action had been taken previously for similar issues.

What Was The Incident?

At the site, inspectors found vehicles such as tipper lorries and loading shovels being driven around the yard, while the pedestrian entrance was chained and padlocked. Pedestrians were forced to use the same route as vehicles, with no effective segregation through 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 Although a visual traffic plan existed, it was not visible to staff or visitors and was out of date because site arrangements had changed, including movements across the yard to toilets. The inspectors also observed skips that were unsafely stacked, with some deformed and piled three high in places. The stacking instability and increased height created a risk of collapse or falling, and skips were placed in an area regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles.

What Was The Outcome?

The employer pleaded guilty to two offences under section 33 of the Health and Safety at Work Act. It was fined £167,000 and ordered to pay £16,195 in costs. Improvement notices were served and a further visit took place within 11 days after action was required to remedy breaches. The investigation also found earlier enforcement history, including prohibition notices in 2019 relating to stockpiling and the risk of collapse.

Key Points To Consider

Keep pedestrians and vehicles genuinely segregated. Where people must move around yards with reversing vehicles, ensure there are safe designated pedestrian routes and crossing arrangements, rather than forcing pedestrians onto vehicle paths.

Make traffic management plans visible and current. A traffic plan must be accessible to those on site and updated when layouts or movement patterns change, including routes to facilities such as toilets.

Control the storage stability of heavy skips. Do not allow deformed and over stacked skips, and account for the size and weight of skips to reduce the likelihood of collapse or items falling.

Avoid placing stored materials in high footfall areas. Keep skips and other stockpiles out of areas regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles to reduce exposure if something falls.

Act on repeat enforcement and earlier warnings. If there has been prior prohibition or enforcement relating to stockpiling and collapse risks, treat that as a clear signal to review and fix controls rather than relying on unchanged arrangements.

HSE Prosecution Link