Data on the health, safety and environmental performance of UK chemical distributors in 2010 has just been released by the Chemical Business Association (CBA).

Overall, CBA member companies completed nearly 900,000 separate journeys to distribute 2.9 million tonnes of chemicals last year. There was a 14-per-cent reduction in the year-on-year transport incident rate; an increase in the number of accidents (from 17 in 2009 to 22 in 2010); and a total of two convictions recorded against member companies.

Andy Beck, chair of CBA’s Responsible Care Committee, said: “Our report for 2010 shows a continued improvement in some key industry measures, such as the fall in the transport incident rate. Though other measures, such as the accident rate, have increased they still represent a continuation in the long-term trend of continuous improvements we have seen during the 18 years we have been publishing our annual reports.”

The CBA report is based on returns from 92 distributor member companies employing 4065 people. To read the full report, go to www.chemical.org.uk and click on Responsible Care.