An average of one in every 18 privately-operated waste sites experienced a fire between 2012 and 2013, Environment Agency data indicates.
The statistics, which were revealed in a written response from Defra minister Dan Rogerson in Parliament on Tuesday (April 8), show there was a total of 595 fire-related incidents at private waste sites across the two-year period.
In comparison, just five fires were reported at local authority-operated sites in the same period an average of one in every 110 facilities.
Mr Rogerson, who was asked how many waste fires there had been in the last two years by Labour MP for Blaenau Gwent Nick Smith, stated: Environment Agency records show that there were a total of 595 incidents of fire reported at privately operated waste management sites in 2012 and 2013. This represents an average of one fire for every 18 privately operated sites.
There were a total of five incidents of fire reported at local authority-operated waste management sites in 2012 and 2013. This represents an average of one fire for every 110 local authority-operated waste management sites.
Insurance
The revelation follows insurance firm Catlins decision to pull out of the waste industry last week, with one senior class underwriter citing the huge number of damaging fires as a factor in the companys decision (see letsrecycle.com story).
Catlin made its decision despite a report published by the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) that stated cooperation between insurers, enforcement agencies and the waste industry was improving.
‘We have had a series of meetings, the insurers have seen what is going on and there has been a good level of interaction. I think it is unhelpful when one insurer says it is pulling out of the sector, as it comes across as being critical of the industrys professionalism.’
– Chris Jones, WISH forum chair
The document, which assessed the conclusions reached by delegates at the London Fire Futures Forum in November 2013, is currently being used to create a draft guidance note which aims to provide consensus between sectors on how best to reduce waste fires (see letsrecycle.com story).
‘Knee-jerk’
Commenting on Catlins decision to stop offering future premiums to the waste industry, Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) forum chair Chris Jones told letsrecycle.com he was disappointed in what was essentially a knee-jerk reaction.
He said: Those statistics do not change anything for me. While any waste fire is one fire too many, lets not run away with the idea that facilities are catching fire all the time.
We have had a series of meetings, the insurers have seen what is going on and there has been a good level of interaction. I think it is unhelpful when one insurer says it is pulling out of the sector, as it comes across as being critical of the industrys professionalism.
We have been challenging the insurance sector to produce data showing their losses I do not believe that it is fair to say that fires are such a consuming issue that insurers should just withdraw completely. There are facilities out there where millions of pounds have been spent on fire prevention.
Guidance
Speaking about the forthcoming guidance note, Mr Jones added: We expect to have guidance out by the end of April. There is a lack of science about how some of these materials burn, so we cant be definitive but what we can say is it will present the state of current knowledge on the issue from across all sectors.
A spokeswoman for the Environmental Services Association, which is helping to produce the guidance, said: “These statistics show why ESA is working closely with regulators, fire authorities, insurers and other stakeholders to improve the industry’s record on this issue. The figures also show that almost 95% of sites have not suffered fires. This of course represents the overwhelming majority of the industry. Nonetheless we still must strive to do even better.”
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