E023:06 1 March 2006

Nine fatalities in eight weeks – HSE issues safety alert to Waste and Recycling industry

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has today issued a safety alert to the waste and recycling industry following nine reported fatalities in eight weeks. In seven instances, people were killed by being struck by a vehicle.

Commenting on the figures, Paul Harvey, Principal Inspector of HSE’s Waste and Recycling Section said: “The tragedy of these incidents must act as a stimulus for the industry to review its procedures, making sure that vehicle risks are properly controlled. Wherever possible pedestrians and vehicles should be segregated, paying special attention to transfer stations and sorting areas. Street collection activities need to address the risks to collection staff and other road and pavement users.”

“Using reversing aids such as mirrors, CCTV, detectors and beacons do reduce the risks. In most public access areas you will usually need to provide reversing assistants, their job being to help the driver and prevent or warn pedestrians entering manoeuvring areas when the risks cannot be controlled adequately by other means.”

HSE has developed specific guidance with the Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) Forum, available from the HSE website at: www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/waste09.pdf [PDF 187kb] . HSE’s workplace transport pages on the website also provide guidance in this area at: www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport/index.htm.

HSE is investigating the nine deaths which have occurred since 21 December 2005 which consist of:

• 21 February 2006 a fork lift truck operator crushed when the vehicle overturned at a scrap yard in Lowestoft, Suffolk;
• 16 February 2006, member of the public struck by refuse collection vehicle in Weybridge, Surrey;
• 2 February 2006 a member of the public was found dead inside a waste paper compacting machine in Birmingham;
• 2 February 2006 a waste picker was run over by a mechanical shovel at a recycling centre near Hartley-Witney, Hampshire;
• 30 January 2006 a member of the public was run over by a reversing bin lorry in Wigton, Cumbria;
• 30 January 2006 a binman run over by his own vehicle whilst collecting household waste in Morpeth, Northumberland;
• 27 January 2006 a bulldozer driver died on a landfill site in Brogborough, Bedfordshire after becoming caught on his vehicle;
• 25 January 2006 a crane collapsed on a customer at a scrap yard in High Ongar, Essex;
• 21 December 2005 a binman was hit by a car when collecting wheelie bins in Bournemouth.

Notes for editors

1. HSE’s Waste and Recycling Section is currently working to deliver a three-year programme to improve the performance of the industry by working with them and managing an inspection initiative delivered by HSE field inspectors. Further information on health and safety issues in the waste and recycling industry, including advice, guidance and HSE’s programme of work is available at the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/waste/index.htm .

2. The number of fatal incidents occurring in industry are published on the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/index.htm .

3. The report ‘Mapping the health and safety performance of the UK waste industry’ shows the industry has an incident rate four to five times the national average (i.e approximately 2500 incidents per 100,000 workers per year). It can be found on the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr240.htm

4. WISH is made up of representatives from employers, trade unions, HSE, local authorities and the community-recycling sector.

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