A scrap metal recycling company has been fined £40,000 after a father and son were injured when a large pile of scrap metal collapsed onto them at a recycling site in Scunthorpe. [press.hse.gov.uk], [barbour-ehs.com]
PPS Metal Recycling Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to protect members of the public from risks at its facility. The incident occurred on 6 February 2025 while the father and son were unloading scrap metal. A nearby 360-degree excavator was removing material from a large stockpile when part of the pile suddenly gave way, sending heavy metal crashing onto the pair. Both were taken to hospital, with one suffering a broken leg. [press.hse.gov.uk], [hsmsearch.com]
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the excavator had been operating close to members of the public for around 20 minutes before the incident. The company had failed to implement suitable measures to separate the public from moving machinery and unstable stockpiles. [press.hse.gov.uk], [barbour-ehs.com]
Inspectors also discovered the incident came just days after an earlier near miss involving the same excavator, when its rotating cab struck a member of the public’s vehicle while scrap was being unloaded. Although nobody was injured on that occasion, the same safety failings were present. [press.hse.gov.uk], [hsmsearch.com]
Following the incident, the HSE issued a Prohibition Notice preventing the excavator from operating close to pedestrians. The company subsequently introduced a dedicated public unloading area, improved signage, implemented supervised unloading procedures and developed a traffic management plan with barriered walkways. [press.hse.gov.uk], [barbour-ehs.com]
At court, PPS Metal Recycling Ltd was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £6,181 in costs for breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. [barbour-ehs.com], [hse-network.com]
Key takeaway: Members of the public should never be exposed to the hazards created by heavy machinery and unstable material stockpiles. Effective segregation and traffic management can prevent serious injuries and save lives. [press.hse.gov.uk], [barbour-ehs.com]
#HealthAndSafety #HSE #WorkplaceSafety #RecyclingIndustry #ScrapMetal #SafetyFirst #Scunthorpe #RiskManagement #IndustrialSafety
