According to Wayne Williams, seven fatalities – including employees and members of the public – were provisionally recorded in the sector in 2009.
However, Mr Williams said it was important not to get complacent when looking at the figures, especially because seven fatalities had already been reported in the sector for the first half of 2010 – suggesting there had been little long-term improvement and that last year's figure was more of an anomaly.
Commenting on the low 2009 figures, Mr Williams said: “Over the last few years, 12-16 fatalities has been the norm. Until last year. Last year was extremely low – we don't know why. It could be due to a combination of better practice and a bit of luck.
“But we are not complacent about the low figures last year. We may find that when you look over a few years the trend is actually quite flat.”
While the figures are still provisional, with official 2009 figures due to be announced in October, Mr Williams said that they demonstrated the importance of companies and councils “keeping their eye on the ball” when it came to health and safety.
Health and Safety conference
The HSE's Wayne Williams will be among the speakers at 'A Case of Health and Safety' – a one day event on September 28 for anyone involved in managing a composting or resource recovery facility. For more information, click here.
Looking at accidents in general, he said that seven tended to occur for every 100,000 employees in the waste and recycling sector -whereas for all other industries the rate was less than one.
He commented: “Overall the number of accidents have fallen by about 20% over five years but it still has a comparably high accident rate compared to other industries and there is still a long way to go.”
“The industry is growing and changing so quickly that everyone needs to be on their toes to keep up with health and safety issues. That is why it is regarded as a priority sector for the HSE.”
Inspections
Looking ahead, Mr Williams pointed to inspections the HSE would be carrying out next month regarding the procurement and management of waste and recycling services (see letsrecycle.com story)
And, in 2011, he said that the body would be looking at some issues regarding waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).
He said: “We are looking at interventions next year for WEEE sites. We have been getting feedback that there are emerging issues to be addressed.”
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