Organisations and stakeholders in the waste and recycling industry have
committed themselves to reduce accidents in the sector by 10 per cent
year on year over the next five years.
The number of fatal incidents in the industry is more than 10 times the national average, while reportable accidents are four times higher. Members of the Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) forum — which includes waste-management and recycling trade associations, local-authority groups and government bodies, regulators, and trades unions — have now pledged to improve these statistics by signing a five-year charter.
Its aims include:
The charter does not formalise how organisations will meet these targets owing to the forum’s diverse make-up, but each member has signed up to an individual work programme, and has to report on progress at every forum meeting, held three times a year.
WISH chair and director of risk management & compliance at Cory Environmental, Chris Jones, explained: “The programmes are not set in stone as they need to be able to react to changing circumstances. But we have to set a challenging target, as the public would never forgive us for a lack of ambition.” Pointing to a 50-per-cent reduction in the Environmental Services Association’s (ESA) accident injury rate over five years, he added: “Experience has shown that challenging targets are achievable.”
Supporting the forum to meet these targets is the HSE, which encouraged the industry to set up WISH in 2004. The HSE has now taken a backseat in its operation but is committed to offer advice to the industry, as well as carry out inspections.
Principal inspector, Paul Harvey, told SHP: “We will be continuing to inspect where we believe there is a need. We will be targeting hotspots, raising issues of leadership, and looking at client responsibility in local authorities.” With many deaths caused by workers being struck by vehicles, Harvey said the Executive was looking at reversing systems, whether people should collect on both sides of the street, and how councils monitor the performance of their contractors.
Jobs in the sector have risen by about 10 per cent over two years and, despite the worsening economic climate, the sector is unlikely to be as hard hit as others. However, asked whether there was a risk that this growth could hinder the forum in achieving its objectives — for example, with the potential of new, inexperienced workers entering the sector — Harvey replied: “An increase in the size of the sector and adoption of new techniques and processes is something we and industry have to keep an eye on.
He continued: “Training and management systems are always something we will look at. Traditionally, the industry has been focused on delivering service. What we’re trying to do is build in a balance of health and safety and encourage a culture where people look after themselves and their colleagues, as well as deliver a service.”
To address the challenge of engaging with small and medium-sized businesses, a climate survey tool is to be developed that will help such organisations measure the attitude to health and safety in their workplaces, and identify areas for improvement. The ESA has also recently set up a mentoring scheme, whereby several of the biggest companies in the sector have agreed to mentor smaller firms.
Another test promises to be the aim to reduce the number for working days lost due to accidents and ill health, largely owing to a scarcity of data on the latter. To help fill this void, the HSE has commissioned a study to scope the amount of ill health in the industry. Alongside this work, the Executive is working with the ESA to produce a standard format for measuring the number of working days lost due to occupational health and safety incidents.
Summing up his thoughts on the charter, Jones told SHP: “My expectations are to achieve the objectives. My hope is to do it in less than five years, and I hope we can set even more challenging targets in five years’ time. If we achieve those objectives, I hope the general public and the media recognise our achievements. We need to acknowledge achievement and spur people on.”
WISH guidance is hosted on the HSE website at the link below.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/waste/wish.htm
