Waste and Recycling

There is a general downward trend in the rate of injury over the last eight years, but there is also significant year-to-year variation, especially in the number of fatalities. Injury numbers have been falling for the last four years or longer.

Nevertheless, waste and recycling remains a high-risk industry. Although it accounts for only about 0.6% of the employees in Britain it still accounts for 2.8% of reported injuries to employees (4.2% fatalities, 2.5% major and 2.9% of over-3-day injuries).

In waste and recycling in 2011/12p:

• there were six fatal injuries to workers, one of these fatalities was to a self-employed person. This compares with an average of eight over the previous five years (RIDDOR)
• there was one fatal injury to a member of the public, compared to an average of two a year over the previous five years (RIDDOR)
• the rate of reported over three day injury is almost five times that in agriculture or construction (RIDDOR)
• almost a third of the fatalities (29%) are due to employees being struck by vehicles (RIDDOR)
• about a third (35%) of reported major injuries are due to slips and trips (RIDDOR)
• almost half (45%) of reported over three day injuries are due to handling (RIDDOR)

Non-fatal injuries to employees in waste and recycling, 2005/06 to 2011/12p