Waste Company Fined After Unsafe Skip Stacking And Poor Site Traffic Control

Brief Summary

The HSE found multiple health and safety failures at a waste and recycling site, including skips stacked up to three high in areas accessed by people and vehicles. Inspectors also identified that pedestrians were not effectively separated from moving traffic and that a visual traffic plan was not available to staff or visitors and no longer matched the site layout. The employer pleaded guilty to offences under health and safety law and was fined.

What Was The Incident?

On an inspection visit in August 2022, HSE observed vehicles and loading equipment moving around the site, while the pedestrian entrance was chained and padlocked. People had to use the same entrance route as lorries and other vehicles, and there were no effective designated pedestrian routes or crossing points. Although a visual traffic plan existed, it was not visible to staff or visitors and had become out of date after the site configuration changed, so it did not cover key pedestrian movements such as accessing toilets across the yard. HSE also found skips unsafely stacked, with some deformed and with a stack height of three high in places. The instability and height increased the likelihood of collapse or a skip falling, and the stacks were located in an area regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles.

What Was The Outcome?

The employer was ordered to pay a fine of £167,000 and costs of £16,195. The employer pleaded guilty to two offences under section 33 1 a of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. HSE noted that improvement notices were served requiring actions within set timescales, and a further investigation found the employer had previously been subject to enforcement, including prohibition notices in 2019 relating to stockpiling and risks of collapse.

Key Points To Consider

Segregate pedestrians and vehicles effectively. Ensure people can move around the site using safe routes and crossing points that are separate from areas used by lorries and other vehicles.

Keep site traffic arrangements current and visible. A traffic plan is only useful if staff and visitors can see it and if it still reflects current site layouts and pedestrian movement requirements.

Prevent dangerous storage and stacking of heavy loads. Assess skip stacking arrangements for stability, including deformation and stack height, and do not place loads where they could fall onto people.

Use additional controls where large vehicles must reverse. Where reversing is necessary, plan and implement extra precautions to protect workers and others nearby from vehicle movements.

Respond properly to prior enforcement and known risks. If enforcement action has previously been taken, treat that as evidence of ongoing legal duties and address the risks fully rather than repeating the same failures.

HSE Prosecution Link