The revelation came in the latest minutes published this week from the cross-industry health and safety body, know as the Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) Forum.
We are currently running a pilot research project in various locations, looking at material recycling facilities and the causes of potential ill health
HSE spokeswoman
The minutes outline that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) aims to “explore occupational health and hygiene risks” associated with working in MRFs.
Six unnamed facilities – three council-run and three privately-operated – from across the UK are being used in the project to assess potential causes of ill health. The trial is expected to be completed within the current financial year, with findings published shortly after.
The research project, which began in January 2010, is being led by Pam Kaur of the HSE, who has been helped by sector trade body, the Environmental Services Association (ESA) and the public sector worker representative body, the Local Government Employers (LGE), to find suitable sites.
In addition, the WISH Forum minutes indicate that the Local Government Association has also being helping to provide Ms Kaur with information for the MRF project.
Confirming that the trial had already begun, an HSE spokeswoman said: “We are currently running a pilot research project in various locations, looking at material recycling facilities and the causes of potential ill health.
“The facilities are a mixture of local authority and privately-run sites and we await the outcome with interest.”
The work is intended to build on the HSE's research into the prevalence of ill health in the waste and recycling sector.
In October 2009, the HSE published a comprehensive study on sickness and absence data which showed that council waste and recycling workers take fewer days off due to musculoskeletal injuries and experience far less stress than those in other public sector roles (see letsrecycle.com story).
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