Waste Company Fined After Dangerous Skip Stockpiling and Weak Traffic Management

Brief Summary

HSE visited a waste and recycling site and found multiple breaches, including skips piled three high in places and unsafe vehicle and pedestrian movement arrangements. The workplace lacked effective segregation, the traffic plan was not available to staff or visitors and did not reflect the site as it had changed. The employer also had a previous history of enforcement relating to stockpiling and collapse risks and was fined following a guilty plea.

What Was The Incident?

During an HSE inspection at a waste and recycling yard, inspectors observed tipper lorries and loading shovels moving around the site without effective control measures to protect people on foot. The pedestrian entrance was chained and padlocked, forcing pedestrians to use a route also used by vehicles, with no 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 Although a visual traffic plan existed, it was not visible to staff or visitors and was out of date because the site configuration had changed, including pedestrian access across the yard to toilets not being addressed. In addition, skips were stacked unsafely, with some deformed and piled three high in places. The instability was increased by the height of the stacks and the skips were placed in an area regularly accessed by workers on foot or in vehicles, creating a significant risk of falls or collapse.

What Was The Outcome?

The employer was prosecuted for failing to fulfil duties under Section 2 and Section 3 by placing employees, agency workers and other persons at risk of death and or serious personal injury. It pleaded guilty to two offences under s33(1)(a) of the Act. The fine was £167,000 and costs of £16,195 were ordered.

Key Points To Consider

Prevent falls and collapse when stockpiling skips. Review how skips are stored, considering weight and size, any deformation of skips and the height of stacks, and keep stockpiles out of areas where people regularly pass on foot or near moving plant.

Provide effective segregation between vehicles and pedestrians. Organise the workplace so pedestrians can move safely separate from vehicle routes, and where reversing or complex vehicle movements are needed, plan additional precautions to protect workers nearby.

Keep traffic plans visible and current. A plan only helps if it is accessible to staff and visitors and reflects the current site layout, including key pedestrian movements such as access to welfare facilities.

Treat risks as potentially severe when heavy items can fall. Where collapse consequences could be catastrophic, ensure hazards from stockpiling are addressed early with controls that reduce both the likelihood of failure and exposure of people to the hazard area.

Use previous enforcement as a prompt to improve, not repeat breaches. If enforcement notices have already been served for similar issues, strengthen arrangements and verify that the actions taken actually remove the risks rather than relying on outdated controls or assumptions.

HSE Prosecution Link