Site Skip Security: Useful Measures to Protect Contractors and Prevent Claims

Site Skip Security: Useful Measures to Protect Contractors and Prevent Claims

Site skip security is an often overlooked but essential part of professional site management, helping contractors avoid disputes, illegal waste issues and unnecessary costs.

As any contractor will attest, there are few site situations that are more annoying than securing a skip – no matter how empty or full – from being compromised by unauthorised rifling or placing of objects by third parties.

Most skip hire companies have strict rules concerning what may or may not be loaded into an open skip, with maximum load and weight of content clearly stated in their loading documents.

Indeed, it is illegal to place certain items including hazardous waste, liquids, electrical and gas containers. Local providers will enforce environmental regulations to protect workers from dangerous chemical reactions and lifting hazards.

Prohibited Materials Commonly Causing Problems

These may include, but not be restricted to, asbestos, chemicals, solvents, oils, fuels and cleansing agents e.g. brick acids.

Electrical items including televisions, fridges, freezers and microwaves must all go into separate dedicated recycling schemes, and not be dumped into construction site bins.

Gas cylinders and even aerosols such as line markers, even when empty; batteries containing heavy metals and toxic substances (especially lithium-ion batteries); wheelbarrow tyres and anything that may be injurious through explosion or risk of self-igniting are forbidden.

Even construction site waste such as plasterboard cannot be mixed with general waste as it can produce hydrogen sulphide gas when decaying in landfill sites.

Hidden Waste Matter and Unauthorised Additions

Restricted items, such as household materials including bedding, mattresses, carpets, etc that are discovered in a skip – even after collection by the hire company – may attract additional costs for hand unloading and separation by the tip handlers.

If you are transporting your own construction waste, in your own vehicles or skips to take materials to a recycling centre or tip, you will require an Upper-Tier Waste Carriers Licence.

You are legally responsible for the contents of your waste, even if a skip hire company handles it. You must ensure that the carrier holds a valid Upper-Tier Waste Carriers licence and provides them with a signed Waste Transfer Note (which will include a description of the waste being transported)

Delays caused when skips are rejected for any reason – usually mixed load issues or over-loading – can become expensive and disruptive to the site management.

Third Party Unauthorised Complications

Whilst it is incumbent on the contractor to ensure that nothing ‘illegal’ is allowed to be placed in a skip for the reasons outlined above, it is important to ensure – as far as possible – that nothing is added to the load that has not been scrutinised by the site staff.

Items such as household waste or discarded furniture etc placed by the customer (and neighbours during the night) should be removed and not simply buried, as this may prove to be very expensive to the contractor.

Customers should be made aware, in writing, that they are not permitted to use the skip as a dumping ground – even if they claim to be paying for the service.

Dispute Issues Arising from Site Skips

There have been many examples of skips featuring in disputes and claims, with a customer gaining access to the contents of a skip placed on site (even outside of their premises under a street licence) if that access leads to unforeseen problems.

One example – children climbing into skips and removing dangerous materials, including razor sharp shards of porcelain paving, using them as play swords and knives. The fact that the skip was left uncovered was enough to become an expensive legal claim for negligence and lack of duty of care.

One customer retrieved a plastic bucket (apparently nearly new, with a broken handle) and ‘borrowed’ some sand and cement to carry out a small mortar pointing project in his open fireplace, only to leave a black circle on a new white carpet (the bucket having been used to mix black mortar cement dye before losing the handle). The customer tried to claim for a new carpet on his insurance. The case failed, but relations were never restored…….

Simple Measures to Protect Against Claims

Skip covers – heavy duty (300 gsm) mesh nets (not cargo nets, used for stabilising loads) in various sizes are available to be placed over the skip at any time it is unattended, with a strong elastic tie cord with a lock is essential for overnight security.

Apart from looking neat, tidy and professional, the use of skip mesh covers will help to prevent difficult site situations and ensure smooth customer relations.

A properly secured skip protects the contractor, customer and general public. In today’s litigious environment, such simple preventative measures can avoid major delays, expense and disputes later on.