A scrap metal recycling company has been fined after two members of the public were injured when a large pile of scrap metal collapsed onto them at its site in Scunthorpe.
PPS Metal Recycling Ltd pleaded guilty after failing to protect members of the public from risks at its site.
On 6 February 2025, a father and son were unloading scrap metal when a 360-degree excavator fitted with a grab attachment was operating nearby. As the machine removed material from a large stockpile of scrap metal a part of the pile collapsed, causing heavy pieces of scrap to fall onto the two. Both were taken to hospital following the incident and one sustained a broken leg.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the excavator had been operating in close proximity to members of the public for around 20 minutes before the incident. The company had failed to put suitable controls in place to prevent members of the public from being exposed to the risks created by moving machinery and unstable stockpiles.
HSE also identified that this incident followed an earlier near miss on 27 January 2025, when the rotating cab of the same excavator struck the side of a member of the public’s vehicle as they unloaded scrap. Although no one was harmed during the earlier incident, the underlying failures were the same.
This incident shows why members of the public must be considered within workplace transport and operational risk assessments. Physical segregation, controlled unloading areas, stable stockpiles, competent plant operation and active supervision are preferable to relying on signs or verbal warnings. The earlier near miss should also have prompted immediate investigation and corrective action. Vantify considers near-miss learning a key indicator of safety culture: organisations should identify underlying causes, assign accountable actions and verify completion before a more serious event occurs.
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