Scrap metal operations present a wide range of hazards at various points throughout the processing chain. Risks comparable to, and often exceeding, heavy warehouse operations range from physical injuries to long-term occupational health conditions for workers in this sector. This is why health and safety professionals and decision-makers need to understand the hazards and how they can manifest before implementing preventative controls and measures for handling sharp and dangerous materials like scrap metal.
Notable industry incidents, such as the 2016 retaining wall collapse at Hawkeswood Metal Recycling in Birmingham, leading to five fatalities, and a crushing fatality at Alutrade, Oldbur,y in 2017, due to a broken safety gate, serve as grim reminders of the consequences of safety failures. It is reported that the waste and recycling sector experiences a higher-than-average fatality rate, exacerbated by a range of factors. Sober consequences in these cases involved Hawkeswood company directors being jailed in 2023, and Alutrade were fined £2 million for corporate manslaughter in 2022.
It is therefore paramount to proactively explore the operational and health risks facing workers in this sector, and just how to ensure complete safety across their infrastructure.
Day-to-day operational risks
Identifying the primary catalysts for workplace accidents is the first step in risk mitigation:
- Machinery and Vehicle Proximity: Failing to segregate moving vehicles or equipment from handlers or pedestrians can be fatal. During a routine health and safety inspection in October 2024, the HSE fined ASM Metal Recycling £650,000 for allowing manual sorting in close proximity to moving heavy machinery, without protective barriers or equipment.
- Lacerations and punctures: Sharp edges or jagged pieces of scrap metal, as well as exposed wiring or damaged components, can vary by volume and density, but all pose a constant threat of impalement, laceration and infection.
- Contamination and toxic exposure: Metals often arrive contaminated with oils, lead-acid batteries, antifreeze, and other industrial byproducts. Without proper labelling, collection and storage, these can lead to soil contamination and worker exposure to toxic substances; even lead poisoning in these material-specific processes.
- Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs): Manual handling injuries are common, with repetitive lifting, carrying and manipulation of heavy components causing MSDs. Recent HSE data suggests that these represent 41% of all work-related ill-health cases and 34% of all working days lost.
- Slips and trips: Representing one-third of all major workplace injuries, these are often caused by uneven surfaces, scattered debris, oil spills and a general lack of housekeeping.
Modern solutions: improving metal separation processes
To counter these risks, industry leaders are moving away from manual heavy processes towards automated separation technology. Reducing the human element within high-risk areas in turn lowers an organisation’s risk profile.
Non-ferrous metals like aluminium, copper, zinc and brass can be efficiently separated using magnetic eddy current separation technology that’s highly automated. For example, specialists such as BlakerTech manufacture eddy current separators that use powerful magnetic fields to induce electrical currents in conductive particles. This technology separates non-ferrous metals from large, contaminated scrap heaps, significantly reducing the need for manual sorting and protecting workers from sharp debris and repetitive strain.
Density separation via fluidised beds represents another solution for recycling facilities, using differences in material density to achieve effective segregation and further lessening the physical burden on the workforce.
Long-term health risks to scrap metal workers
Looking beyond short-term physical injury risk, workers in the industry face serious long-term health issues if they’re not adequately prepared or supported. This includes:
- Asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and even pleural mesothelioma (due to exposure to metal dust, fumes and airborne particles)
- Respiratory issues due to the nature of metalwork, like cutting and grinding and where airborne contaminants are inhaled (and not ventilated properly)
- Work-related stress (WRS) and mental health issues like depression and anxiety due to the serious and risky nature of the work, and not being adequately supported.
How to protect workers and improve recycling facility safety
While technology can reduce exposure, maintaining rigorous operational controls remains key to running safe facilities.
Invest in proper PPE and safety equipment
Facilities managers must ensure all workers have appropriate PPE to protect against physical dangers like fragments, falling objects, lacerations and sharp objects, such as:
- Hard hats
- Safety glasses
- Face shields
- High-vis clothing
- Body supports
- Knee pads
- Heavy-duty gloves
- Steel-toed boots
- Earplugs
For operations involving lead or other toxic materials, respiratory protective equipment is mandatory. Suppliers such as Arco offer a diverse range of respiratory PPE designed for industrial environments that filter harmful dust, fumes and vapours.
Enforce tighter operational controls and procedures
It’s all good investing in equipment and technology, but these are only as effective as the workers themselves and how prepared or well-trained they are. This involves assessing several areas:
- Risk management: Conduct regular risk assessments to identify specific hazards across all touchpoints, and maintain strict cleaning and preventative maintenance schedules to ensure the workspace and equipment are kept in pristine working order.
- Strict Segregation: Make sure there is always sufficient space and segregation between pedestrians and vehicles. Physical barriers, mesh fencing, designated walkways and clear signage will all assist with safe segregation.
- Targeted training: Move beyond generic briefings and implement thorough, personalised training programmes on areas such as manual lifting, PPE, hazardous substance handling, and use of machinery.
- Regulatory Compliance: Revisit UK regulations such as the Scrap Metal Dealers Act, the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005, and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to ensure your practices comply with what’s stipulated.
Prioritise safety as a facility in a risk-filled industry
Equipment and procedures mean nothing without alignment and commitment from management and workers alike. Accidents, however severe, must be recorded and investigated, as findings are all pivotal in helping identify patterns and systematic issues before serious injuries or fatalities occur.
Every near-miss or safety concern is an opportunity to proactively identify a systemic flaw and ensure timely intervention. Organisations that act on these signals and suggestions prevent tragedies, rather than respond and react to them after they’ve happened.
The metal recycling industry’s safety challenges are well-documented and entirely preventable. Understanding the immediate operational risks and long-term health hazards, with sufficient investments in PPE, separation technology and controls, can help organisations take the first step in improving individual and collective worker safety.
