Papermaking, conversion and paper recycling have traditionally suffered from high accident rates. The Paper and Board Industry Advisory Committee (PABIAC) targeted accident reduction programmes have seen rates in paper and board mills reduce significantly in recent years. Rates in other parts of the industry remain high. PABIAC'S strategy ‘Making a Difference 2008 – 2011’ targets the whole of the paper chain via a framework for action for the period 2008 – 2011.

Has your company signed the pledge?

Employers in the paper industries are invited to pledge their commitment to working towards achieving the strategic targets by sending a written pledge to PABIAC. 

• Pledge template [69KB]

Employers sending a pledge will receive a certificate of recognition and, if they wish to, their name will be added to the list of companies who have committed themselves to the PABIAC Strategy.

Key health & safety issues include:

• machinery safety (including safety during intervention tasks)
• managing occupational health
• workplace transport
• manual handling
• slips and trips

Health and safety management:

Besides the overall management issues, effective management of contractors is a significant issue. PABIACs Strategy also stresses the importance of company health and safety culture, senior management commitment and governance.

Machinery safety:

For the paper and tissue making industries the publication of Making Paper Safely marked a substantial advance in safeguarding standards, systems of work, training, maintenance and supervision.

Occupational health risks include those associated with inhalation of paper dust, heat stress and manual handling. PABIAC's strategy includes an objective requiring all employers to have clear management arrangements for deliveiring occupational health.

Main causes of injury continue to be Machinery, Manual Handling and Slips & Trips.

Managing occupational health

PABIAC. Strategic Objective 4. Occupational Health.

By 31 March 2011 all employers in the paper industries will be able to demonstrate that they have implemented policies and management systems for assessing and managing the risks to health of employees to which they are exposed while at work. Every employer shall have a clear system for delivering occupational health that includes effective arrangements for:

• ensuring that roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and supported by effective communication and appropriate confidentiality;
• assuring the competence of any occupational health professionals: and
• ensuring that competent occupational health services are provided that meet the needs of the business and address the specific occupational health issues identified by the risk assessment.

Nothing in this objective relieves employers of their existing legal duties under Section 2 of the health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 or Regulations, 3, 5 and 6 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Nor should anything in the objective be taken to imply that duty-holders have a period of grace until [date] to meet their existing legal obligations.

Guidance on managing occupational health is available at:

• Managing occupational health risks in construction (see links to “getting expert help, minimum competences, health surveillance etc)
• Constructing Better Health
• Health and Safety Laboratory - Occupational Health Services
• Hazards at work - occupational health