ASM Metal Recycling, which operates five metal recycling sites, received enforcement action from the HSE for failing to implement effective control measures to protect workers.
HSE inspector Emma Page visited ASM Metal Recycling’s Griffin Lane yard in Aylesbury on 3rd and 8th August 2023. While there, she observed dangerous working practices, including a failure to segregate moving vehicles from pedestrians as waste was being manually sorted.
During her inspection, Page filmed practices showing three pedestrian workers wearing hi-vis vests, sorting waste in close proximity to three 360 grab excavators operating behind them. As they continue to hand-sort the waste, an HGV skip lorry pulls forwards and reverses towards and past them. At this point, two of the workers have their backs to the still reversing HGV. The footage reveals there are no measures, such as barriers, to prevent the reversing vehicle hitting the workers.
The subsequent HSE investigation further identified that ASM had previously identified the risks of pedestrian-vehicle collision but had failed to implement effective control measures.
HSE had previously served enforcement notices on ASM Metal Recycling Ltd in 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018. HSE also wrote notification of contravention letters to the company in 2021 and 2023.
ASM Metal Recycling Ltd, of Station Road Beaconsfield Buckinghamshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act. It was fined £650,000 and was ordered to pay £5,885 costs at a hearing at Oxford Magistrates Court on 22nd October 2024.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Emma Page said: “The scrap and metal recycling industry has consistently had a poor fatal incident rate for many years. The most serious risk associated with manually sorting waste is a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian. On average, there are around five fatalities each year in the waste industry, with nearly half of these relating to being struck by a moving vehicle.
“Incidents happen because working practices have failed to achieve effective segregation of moving vehicles from pedestrians. During my inspection it was clear that this was the case at ASM Metal Recycling’s Griffin Lane premises in Aylesbury, and the fact we had previously identified these areas of concern but they were not acted upon resulted in HSE’s prosecution of the company.”
