Waste Company Fined After Dangerous Skip Stockpiling and Poor Traffic Segregation

Brief Summary

HSE found multiple health and safety failures at a waste and recycling site, including skips stacked up to three high in areas used by workers and weak pedestrian arrangements that forced pedestrians to use routes intended for heavy vehicles. The company also had a traffic plan that was not visible to people on site and did not reflect changes to site layout. After the company pleaded guilty to two offences, it was fined and ordered to pay costs.

What Was The Incident?

During an HSE visit on 11 August 2022, inspectors observed vehicles freely moving around the site, 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 through designated pedestrian routes or crossing points. Although the employer had a visual traffic plan, it was not visible to staff or visitors and was out of date because the site configuration had changed. Inspectors also found skips stacked unsafely, with some deformed skips that increased instability. In places the skips were stacked three high, which increased the likelihood of collapse or a falling skip. The stack locations were in areas regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles, creating a high risk to people nearby. HSE served improvement notices and carried out a further visit 11 days later. The investigation also found previous enforcement activity, including prohibition notices in 2019 relating to stockpiling and risks of collapse.

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. The company was fined £167,000 and ordered to pay £16,195 costs at a hearing on 5 May 2026.

Key Points To Consider

Ensure pedestrians and vehicles are effectively separated. Do not rely on limited access controls; provide clear pedestrian routes and crossing points so people are not pushed onto vehicle routes used by heavy plant.

Control the risks from stockpiled skips. Stacking large and heavy skips must be assessed and managed to prevent collapse or falling loads, especially where skips are in areas regularly used by workers.

Keep traffic plans visible and up to date. A plan that is not visible to staff and visitors, or that does not reflect the current site layout and key pedestrian movements, will not provide meaningful control.

Account for reversing and high impact movement around workers. Where large vehicles operate and may reverse, you must consider additional precautions to protect people working nearby and put those precautions in place.

Use enforcement history as a prompt to improve systems. Previous prohibition action in 2019 means the legal duties were already known, so repeating failures such as unsafe stockpiling and poor segregation will be treated seriously.

HSE Prosecution Link