PPS Metal Recycling Ltd has been fined £40,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6,181 after a father and son were injured when a large pile of scrap metal collapsed onto them at its Scunthorpe site. The incident, which occurred on 6 February 2025, resulted in one of the individuals sustaining a broken leg, highlighting serious safety failings by the company.
Father and son suffer injuries from collapsing scrap at Scunthorpe site
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the incident, revealing that the two members of the public were unloading scrap metal when a 360-degree excavator, fitted with a grab attachment, was operating nearby. As the heavy machinery removed material from a substantial stockpile, a section of the metal pile became unstable and collapsed, causing heavy pieces of scrap to fall onto the father and son. Both individuals required hospital treatment following the traumatic event.
HSE’s investigation found that the excavator had been operating in close proximity to members of the public for approximately 20 minutes before the collapse. Crucially, PPS Metal Recycling Ltd had failed to implement suitable controls to prevent members of the public from being exposed to the inherent risks posed by moving machinery and unstable stockpiles of material. This lack of segregation between pedestrians and workplace transport was a significant contributing factor to the incident.
Further scrutiny by the HSE identified a concerning precursor to this event. On 27 January 2025, just weeks prior, the rotating cab of the same excavator had struck a member of the public’s vehicle while they were unloading scrap. Although no physical harm occurred in this earlier near miss, the underlying safety failures related to inadequate segregation and traffic management were identical. This demonstrated a persistent issue within the company’s operational procedures.
HSE guidance, specifically HSG136: A guide to workplace transport safety, clearly outlines the necessity for pedestrians and vehicles to be segregated as far as is reasonably practicable. It mandates that waste and recycling sites must establish effective traffic management arrangements to safeguard both workers and members of the public from the dangers of moving vehicles and machinery. The company’s practices fell short of these established safety standards.
Following the incident, the HSE took action by serving a Prohibition Notice. This legal directive prevented the excavator from operating in areas close to pedestrians, forcing the company to address the critical safety deficiencies. In response, PPS Metal Recycling Ltd implemented several significant improvements, including the introduction of a separate, dedicated area for public unloading.
They also installed clear signage, established a supervised unloading system, and developed a comprehensive traffic management plan that incorporated barriered walkways to enhance safety.
HSE Inspector Joe Fitzgerald, who led the investigation, emphasised the preventability of the incident. He stated that the members of the public were fortunate not to have suffered even more severe injuries or fatalities. Inspector Fitzgerald underscored that individuals should never be exposed to the risks presented by heavy machinery and unstable stockpiles. He reiterated the employer’s responsibility to ensure robust arrangements are in place to segregate pedestrians from workplace transport and mobile plant, concluding that appropriate controls would have prevented both the injury incident and the earlier near miss.
At Grimsby Magistrates’ Court on 1 September 2026, PPS Metal Recycling Ltd was sentenced after having previously pleaded guilty on 30 July 2026 to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The substantial fine and costs reflect the serious nature of the company’s safety failures and the preventable injuries sustained by the father and son.
This story was originally published by HSE Media Centre.
