What Regulations Should You Be Aware of When Skip Hiring?

What Regulations Should You Be Aware of When Skip Hiring?

Skip hiring is a great convenience to keep waste in check in one of the situations: home renovations, garden clearance, or construction projects. However, there are several regulations you must follow for UK laws, to avoid fines. Permits and waste disposal rules are key issues in an embedded understanding of these regulations. 

If your location is somewhere around Wigan, small skip hire Wigan will not only provide reliable skip-hire services but also ensure your compliance. This article outlines some of the important regulations you must consider for smooth and legal skip-hiring.  

Obtaining Skip Permits & Placing Skips:

You will require a council permit to place the skip on the public road or pavement. Skip hiring companies generally assist in procuring this permit; however, it is your full responsibility that your skip hiring company acquires the permit. If the permit is not reserved by you, fines will be imposed and/or the transport skip might be taken away. The permits are usually valid for a period of one to four weeks, with extensions for up to two weeks, subject to council approval. 

If you are placing the skip on private property, for instance, a driveway, no permit is required. However, please ensure that enough space exists for delivery and collection. The skip must not obstruct pathways, emergency access routes, or services by the public utility. A trustworthy skip hiring provider can advise the appropriate placement to avoid legal issues.  

Waste That Is Not Allowed:

Not all refuse can be placed inside a skip. Hazardous materials, like asbestos, chemical substances, batteries, and medical wastes, are absolutely banned. These are subject to special disposal methods per environmental regulations. In mixing the prohibited items with general wastes, one may face serious punishment.  

Further, electrical appliances that are considered waste under the WEEE expenses and tyres have separate recycling procedures. Always ensure you check with your skip hiring provider for prohibited items. A reputable  company will have stringent segregation policies concerning waste to facilitate an environmentally friendly disposal scheme while keeping you in good standing with UK waste regulations.  

Weight and Size Restrictions:

Available sizes of skips range from mini (2-3 yards) to large builders'(12-16 yards). It is illegal to overfill a skip, as it poses safety risks while being transported from one place to another. Waste should never go over the rim of the skip, and heavier waste like soil or rubble may have to be packed less to remain weight-compliant.  Overweight charges or even rejection of the skip collection can be applied if weight limits are breached. 

Environmental Protection Act 1990 imposes a “duty of care” on you concerning ensuring the lawful disposal of your waste. This means you are expected to engage a licensed waste carrier and receive a duly completed waste transfer note in return. Fly-tipping and illegal dumping are serious crimes, punishable, among other things, by unlimited fines and arrests. You should also take precautions to never engage yourself in any illegal disposal of waste by ensuring the skip hiring provider has a current waste carrier licence with the Environment Agency.

Safety Measures and Public Liability:

Both are safe when it comes to skip hire; when put on the public road, the skip should have reflective markings, lights, and cones indicating the presence of an obstacle to the drivers and pedestrians. Thus, these may lead to accidents and legal action if not complied with.  Public liability insurance is also required if any damage or injury results from the skip. A good skip hiring  company, therefore, includes safety measures in their services to remove risks and comply with health and safety requirements.

Time Limits and Skip Hiring Collection:

Most skip permits come with strict time limits ranging anywhere between one to four weeks. Extensions are possible but have to be arranged in advance. Leaving a skip beyond its allowed period may result in fines or removal by the council. Moreover, ensure waste is kept on the said agreed date to avoid incurring additional rent. A flexible skip hire provider would come to your help of keeping legal time while meeting your requirements of the project.

Conclusion:

When hiring a skip there is more to it than simply hiring a container; there is a lot of legislation in place governing waste management in the UK. From securing the right permits to guaranteeing that going to the landfill is proper, compliance to even these will ensure you the smoothest of your experience. 

When you are in Wigan, then a reliable service can ensure you the threefold benefits of compliance, security and disposal efficiency. Always ask your skip hire company for all proper directions so that you avoid major legal pitfalls when you are being a part of making the world cleaner.

Similar Posts