Safety advice for vehicles in waste-related activities

Sir,

I was surprised to read your blog of 2nd January 2015 concerning safety advice for vehicles used in waste-related activities, in which you assert: What often appears not to follow is swift advice or action which might help prevent or reduce the likelihood of future incidents.

The Waste Industry Safety and Health Forum (WISH), in collaboration with the Health and Safety Executive, have over a number of years provided advice to the industry on the safety of collection activities generally, and waste related vehicle operations specifically.

Advice can be found on the vehicle safety aspects of collection activities in:

• WASTE 04 – Waste and recycling vehicles in street collection.
• WASTE 05 – The safe use of refuse collection vehicle hoists and bins.
• WASTE23  – Safe waste and recycling collection services.

Advice on general workplace transport safety can be found at:

• workplace transport safety.

Where specific issues are identified that require urgent attention and action to be taken, safety alerts are issued, flagged by the link safety alerts on the waste and recycling home page.  In the modern world of instantaneous news there is an understandable desire to know what will be done about incidents in the very moments after they have been reported.

Causation

In truth accident causation is rarely simple and the factors at play easy to identify. Instant judgements are often found later to be erroneous.   In most cases what emerges from investigation is not so much the identification of a new and hitherto unforeseen hazard or risk, but, sadly, rather a further reinforcement that better implementation and enforcement of existing, well known, risk controls is needed. In those few cases where there is entirely new understanding HSE, with WISH and its member organisations, work to spread that new knowledge without unnecessary delay and to identify and disseminate how the dangers might be appropriately controlled and addressed.

I would suggest to you that there is a significant body of guidance and advice around vehicle operating issues, written by the industry, for the industry, already available. Those concerned about the accidents which are occurring in the industry (which should be all of us) should take the time to read and think carefully about that guidance and then act upon it. I would also suggest that there are mechanisms in place through HSE Alerts, WISH, ESA, LAWS, LARAC and others to disseminate new understanding with appropriate urgency as and when it appears.

Finally, on the matter of the development and production of interim or new guidance WISH is always open to new ideas and contributors. Anyone wishing to support our aims of improving health, safety and welfare in the waste sector can get involved please see: WISH forum and get in touch.

Regards,

Chris Jones,
Chairman WISH, and Director of Risk Management and Compliance Cory Environmental
The Old Rectory
Mucking
Stanford-le-Hope
SS17 0RN