A major metal recycling firm has been hit with a £650,000 fine after failing to separate HGVs from pedestrians while waste was being sorted by hand.

ASM Metal Recycling in Aylesbury received enforcement action after a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector visited the site in 2023 and filmed dangerous work practices.

The videos showed three pedestrian workers wearing high-visibility yellow jackets sorting waste in the yard, in close proximity to three 360 ​​excavators operating behind them.

As they continued to sort through the waste by hand, a red dump truck pulled up in front, then backed up and passed them.

Two of the workers had their backs to the reversing vehicle and the footage revealed that there were no measures such as barriers in place to prevent the vehicle coming into contact and causing injury to the workers.

An HSE investigation found that ASM Metal Recycling had previously identified pedestrian-vehicle collision risks but failed to put in place effective controls to prevent this.

The HSE has previously issued enforcement notices on ASM metal recycling in 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018.

He also wrote the company notice letters about the contraventions in 2021 and 2023.

The company pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety at work law and was fined £650,000 and ordered to pay £5,885 costs at a hearing at Oxford Magistrates’ Court.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Emma Page said: “The scrap metal and metal recycling industry has had a consistently low rate of fatal incidents for many years.”

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