Time for Action

1
Time for Action

• Chris Jones
• ESA Health and Safety Working Group

2
Time for Action

• Face the facts.
• Lets get together.
• Accidentally safe?
• Its not my problem
• Act! (Dont react).

3
Face the facts
Accident rates in the waste industry - Fatal
injuries 2003/4
The Industry with the highest rate of fatal
injury is the recycling of waste and scrap where
the rate is nearly 40 times the national average.
4
Face the facts
Accident rates in the waste industry - Bomel
Report
James Barrett, head of the HSE's Manufacturing
Sector, said "These rates are unacceptable for a
major industry, such as the waste sector. This is
a growing, dynamic and innovative industry which
has to rise to the challenge presented by the
figures and reduce the appalling human and
financial cost to the industry." HSE press
release 16 June 2004
Damming research was published yesterday by the
HSE which showed that around 4,000 accidents are
reported by the waste industry each year, or
approximately 2,500 per 100,000 workers. This is
nearly five times the national average accident
rate, and the fatal incident rate of 10 in
100,000 is ten times the national average.
From letsrecycle.com 17 June 2004
http//www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr240.htm
5
Face the facts
Accident rates in the waste industry - Recent
fatalities

• Nine deaths occurred in the industry in the
  first eight weeks of this year
• 21 February 2006 a fork lift truck operator
  crushed when the vehicle overturned at a scrap
  yard in Lowestoft, Suffolk
• 16 February 2006, member of the public struck by
  refuse collection vehicle in Weybridge, Surrey
• 2 February 2006 a member of the public was found
  dead inside a waste paper compacting machine in
  Birmingham
• 2 February 2006 a waste picker was run over by a
  mechanical shovel at a recycling centre near
  Hartley-Witney, Hampshire
• 30 January 2006 a member of the public was run
  over by a reversing bin lorry in Wigton, Cumbria
  
• 30 January 2006 a binman run over by his own
  vehicle whilst collecting household waste in
  Morpeth, Northumberland
• 27 January 2006 a bulldozer driver died on a
  landfill site in Brogborough, Bedfordshire after
  becoming caught on his vehicle
• 25 January 2006 a crane collapsed on a customer
  at a scrap yard in High Ongar, Essex
• 21 December 2005 a binman was hit by a car when
  collecting wheelie bins in Bournemouth
• HSE Press release 01 March 2006

6
Face the facts
Accident rates in the waste industry - ESA/
Nawdc statistics
7
Lets get together

• ESA
• Has adopted a strategy for health and safety
  which includes
• Members to sign the Accident Reduction Charter
• Assign responsibility for HS to named Director
• Monitor the Health and Safety performance of the
  industry
• Develop guidance on training under 10 specific
  headings
• Develop an initiative to reduce the number of
  accidents and incidents associated with
  collecting waste from customers premises

http//www.esauk.org/
8
Lets get together

• WISH
• Already completed and published.
• General guidance for the industry (INDG 359)
• CA site guidance
• Site related transport guidance
• Safe operation of skip loaders (INDG 378).
• Bioaerosol risks from green waste collection
• Machinery lock out procedures
• Orphaned gas cylinders and
• Driving operations for waste and recycling

http//www.hse.gov.uk/waste/wish.htm
9
Lets get together

• ESA and WISH consultation documents
• Widely distributed, but often receive very
  limited response
• Managing Task and Finish
• Principles of MRF design
• Hand sorting of recyclables (totting) with
  Vehicle assistance
• RCV hoists and containers
• Handling needles in waste and recycling.

http//www.esauk.org/
http//www.hse.gov.uk/waste/wish.htm
10
Accidentally safe?

• Design process for new services
• Concept
• Affordability
• Availability of funding
• Minimising public inconvenience
• Equipment availability
• Operational issues
• Affordability
• Seek funding approval
• Recycling rate increases
• Recycling credits
• Prepare implementation plan (Review potential
  safety problems)
• Implement (Solve the safety problems as they
  arise)

11
Intentionally safe!

• Design process for new services
• Concept (design safety)
• Identify potential hazards associated with
  concept
• Specify key risk control measures
• Translate risk control measures into minimum
  specifications for buildings, equipment etc
• Review and revise concept
• Seek funding approval
• Cost savings through improved safety and loss
  control
• Prepare implementation plan
• Identify construction and implementation hazards
• Specify risk control measures and integrate into
  implementation plan
• Implement

12
Its not my problem

• Recycling and Collections Contracts
• Require the adoption of a particular scheme or
  equipment
• Require waste to be collected irrespective of
  distance carried, weight and awkwardness of
  collections
• Require specific performance on the part of the
  contractor, even though the LA doesnt live up to
  its obligations

13
Its not my problem
Both Parties hereby undertake to adopt a
partnership approach to the benefit of both
organisations and to pursue actions to achieve
the following targets continual improvement of
safety performance
Nothing in this clause and no joint working
between the Parties to achieve the targets
specified herein shall relieve the Contractor
from any liabilities or obligations as specified
under this contract.
The Contractor shall be responsible for, release
and indemnify the Council against all liability
for death, personal injury, damage, losses,
actions, claims, demands, proceedings, costs,
charges and expenses whether arising under Law,
in contract, in negligence or at common law.
14
Its not my problem

• Its everybodys problem.
• You can transfer the legal risks
• but can you transfer your moral obligations?
• Managing risk is better than transferring it.

http//www.esauk.org/
15
Act! (Dont react)

• Information about the causes of accidents in the
  industry is available
• Review it
• Think about it
• Act on it
• Guidance is already being produced
• Review it
• Think about it
• Act on it

(Near hits?)
(Contribute to it!)

• Safety MUST be built in at design
• Review it (at the earliest stage)
• Think about it (what needs to be done)
• Act on it

16

• Nine of many reasons why the industry has to do
  better..
• 21 February 2006 a fork lift truck operator
  crushed when the vehicle overturned at a scrap
  yard in Lowestoft, Suffolk
• 16 February 2006, member of the public struck by
  refuse collection vehicle in Weybridge, Surrey
• 2 February 2006 a member of the public was found
  dead inside a waste paper compacting machine in
  Birmingham
• 2 February 2006 a waste picker was run over by a
  mechanical shovel at a recycling centre near
  Hartley-Witney, Hampshire
• 30 January 2006 a member of the public was run
  over by a reversing bin lorry in Wigton, Cumbria
  
• 30 January 2006 a binman run over by his own
  vehicle whilst collecting household waste in
  Morpeth, Northumberland
• 27 January 2006 a bulldozer driver died on a
  landfill site in Brogborough, Bedfordshire after
  becoming caught on his vehicle
• 25 January 2006 a crane collapsed on a customer
  at a scrap yard in High Ongar, Essex
• 21 December 2005 a binman was hit by a car when
  collecting wheelie bins in Bournemouth

Act now, its too late to react later.