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

Brief Summary

HSE found multiple safety failings at a waste and recycling site, including skips piled three high in areas regularly accessed by people. Inspectors also identified poor segregation between vehicles and pedestrians, an inadequate traffic plan, and an unsafe pedestrian access route that forced pedestrians to use the vehicle route. The company had previously been subject to enforcement action for similar issues, making the risk picture more serious.

What Was The Incident?

At the site, inspectors observed vehicles and other plant moving around the yard, including tipper lorries and loading shovels. The pedestrian entrance was chained and padlocked, so pedestrians had to use the vehicle entrance route used by lorries and other vehicles. There was no effective segregation using 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 Although a visual traffic plan existed, it was not visible to staff or visitors and was out of date after the site layout changed, meaning it did not cover key pedestrian movements such as access across the yard to toilets. Inspectors also found skips stacked unsafely, with some deformed and stacked in places accessed regularly by workers, on foot or in vehicles. In some areas the stack height was three high, increasing the likelihood of collapse or a falling skip.

What Was The Outcome?

The employer pleaded guilty to two offences under section 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £167,000. It was also ordered to pay £16,195 costs. HSE had previously served prohibition notices in 2019 for stockpiling and risks of collapse, and after the August 2022 visit improvement notices were served requiring action within a set timescale.

Key Points To Consider

Prevent skip and stockpiling collapse through safe stacking arrangements. Ensure skips and similar heavy items are stacked in a way that takes account of instability risk, including deformation and stack height, and keep them out of areas where people regularly walk or operate vehicles.

Effectively separate pedestrians and vehicles across the whole site. Organise site traffic so pedestrians can move safely, using designated routes and crossing points, and apply additional precautions where reversing or heavy vehicles increase risk to those nearby.

Keep traffic plans current and visible to those on site. Do not rely on a plan that is hidden or outdated. Make sure the traffic management arrangement reflects the current site layout and covers the actual pedestrian movements needed for routine access, such as to welfare facilities.

Do not force pedestrian movements onto vehicle routes. If pedestrian access is blocked or restricted, people may be directed onto routes used by lorries and other vehicles, removing effective control. Provide safe pedestrian access that supports segregation rather than undermines it.

Treat prior enforcement as a prompt for sustained control improvements. Where enforcement action has already identified serious issues, use it to verify controls are working on the day, not just on paper, and ensure improvements address the same underlying risks.

HSE Prosecution Link