Waste Company Fined After Unsafe Skip Stockpiling and Poor Site Segregation

Brief Summary

HSE found multiple health and safety failures at a waste and recycling site including skips stacked three high in places, poor segregation between vehicles and pedestrians, and a traffic plan that was not accessible or up to date, resulting in a fine and costs following guilty pleas.

What Was The Incident?

During an HSE visit in August 2022, inspectors observed vehicles moving freely around the site, with pedestrians being forced to use the vehicle entrance route. There was no effective segregation by designated pedestrian routes or crossing points, and where large vehicles could reverse, additional precautions were not implemented. The employer had a visual traffic plan, but it was not visible to staff or visitors and did not reflect the current site layout, including key pedestrian movements such as access across the yard to toilets. Inspectors also found skips stacked unsafely, some deformed, in an area regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles, with a height of three high in places which increased the likelihood of collapse or a falling skip. Following improvement notices, a further investigation identified that the employer had previously been subject to enforcement action for similar risks related to stockpiling and 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 1974 for failing to fulfil duties under sections 2 and 3 by exposing people on site to risk of death and or serious personal injury. It was fined £167,000 and ordered to pay £16,195 in costs. Improvement notices were served after the initial concerns, and earlier prohibition notices had been served in 2019.

Key Points To Consider

Prevent collapse by controlling skip storage height and condition. Do not stack skips in ways that increase instability, especially where the stack height and the weight and condition of skips make collapse a serious risk.

Provide effective separation between people and vehicles. Organise yard circulation so pedestrians do not have to share routes with lorries and other plant, and use designated pedestrian routes and crossing points to manage crossings safely.

Keep traffic arrangements visible and current. A traffic plan is only useful if it is visible to those on site and reflects current movements, access needs and site layout changes.

Strengthen precautions when reversing large vehicles. Where large vehicles reverse, plan and implement additional precautions to protect people nearby, rather than relying on general arrangements.

Use prior enforcement as a prompt to fix root causes. If enforcement action has already identified similar risks, ensure corrective actions address the underlying management failures and not just the immediate issues highlighted.

HSE Prosecution Link