Waste Industry Safety and Health Forum (WISH) - Minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 23rd April 2008 at CIWM, Northampton

Present

Name: Organisation
Trevor Hay: Health and Safety Executive (Chair)
Toni Gladding: Chartered Institute of Wastes Management (Secretary)
Howard Bluck: British Metals Recycling Association
Lisa Saunders: Community Recycling Network
Chris Jones: Environmental Services Association
Lawrence Strong: WAMITAB
Geoff Smallwood: Chartered Institute of Wastes Management
Colin Mew: Health and Safety Executive
Paul Harvey: Health and Safety Executive
Bob Mason: Local Government Employers
Jeremy Jacobs: The Composting Association
John McClean: TUC
Vincent Borg: TUC
Dick Perry: Waste & Resources Action Programme

Not attending

Name: Organisation
David Buxton: Container Handling Equipment Manufacturers
Paul Thornber: Environmental Services Association
Mark Foxhall: LARAC

Observers

Name: Organisation
Andrew Braund: Paper and Board Industry Advisory Committee (PABIAC)
Mal Williams: Cylch
Gary Fox: ECT
Steven Sumner: Local Government Employers

WISH membership

Trevor Hay is leaving HSE's Manufacturing Sector to take up a new role; hence, WISH will need to appoint a new chair at the next meeting. His replacement in HSE is Colin Mew.

Toni Gladding was appointed as the new WISH secretary.

Actions from last meeting and matters arising

A further meeting of the Noise in Glass collection working group had met. See item below.

HSL research report - Selecting Collection Systems. Very little feedback had been received following this tool being on the website. HSE/HSL still welcome comment.

Update on constituent organisations H&S activities

HSE

Paul Harvey reported that in 2007/8 there were 13 fatalities within the industry (compared to 16 last year and 19 the year before that), which was considered a positive trend. Reported accidents were still transport dominated (66%).

The follow up to the original "Bomel report" on scoping the industry, (known commonly as "Bomel II") is nearing completion. "Bomel II" reports on 2005/6, but now contains 10 years of data from 1996/7 through to 2005/6. Employment has increased by 12% in the industry. Between 2001-2004 the accident rate was increasing, but 2003/4-2005/6 it dropped by 14%. The report indicates that there were no significant changes either to where accidents happen, or accident type.

A paper put before the HSE Management Board showed that between 2005/6 to 2007/8 HSE operational inspectors had made approximately1000 inspections within the Waste and Recycling Industries, which had resulted in 1100 enforcement notices. In addition, 81 informations alleging criminal health and safety offences were laid before the courts. The paper requested approval to continue with this programme of inspections. In future, a major area of scrutiny will be the role of clients, eg local authorities interface with contractors.

Overall, HSE feel things are starting to improve within the waste industry.

Trevor Hay reported that an initial meeting had been held with the Container Handling Equipment Manufacturers. This meeting started the desired dialogue with manufacturers on vehicle features that might prove reasonably practicable to incorporate into Refuse Collection Vehicles. It also repeated the concerns regarding the potential for musculoskeletal disorders caused by some recyclate collection vehicle designs and, in some cases, the adequacy of essential H&S information to users.
HSE had commented to the National Household Hazardous Wastes Forum that their latest "Hazguide" did not deal with radioactive sources (eg in old watches, clocks, smoke detectors etc.) and the need to deal with these items within the waste stream.

ESA

There has been a revised code of conduct for members covering principles outlined in HSG65, and a compliant H&S System. Members are required to submit accident statistics before the end of March each year, but this may be moved to earlier in the year.

An SME assistance programme has been approved where larger companies will help smaller companies.

ESA are recommitting to setting and achieving targets to reduce the accident incidence rate.

ESA are also looking at occupational health and understanding data involving the HSE. Trevor Hay commented that there is a general difficulty in collecting such data and separating issues from personal health, eg gastrointestinal problems more than three days for instance. Trevor also commented that HSE inspectors had highlighted the importance of hygiene facilities and training in reducing hygiene related work absences.

ESA are running a H&S event on 26th June entitled 'Designing-in Safety'.

Street Safe Sam training CD No.2 on CA Sites is expected to be available in the next few weeks - free. 1500 will be released. The previous one was very popular and it was expected these would be distributed very quickly. A 3rd CD is hoped to be available by August on commercial collections. Further CDs are planned on MRFs, landfills, composting and treatment.

The Composting Association are:

actively involved in food waste and in vessel facilities trials;
investigating how to ask members for accident statistics;
seeking funding for H&S education.

Paper and Board Industry Advisory Committee - (PABIAC)

PABIAC has an agreed H&S strategy with targets for accident reduction for the next three years. There is commitment to a 10% target for reduction in accident incidence rates.

Occupational health is currently being investigated for areas to pursue to reduce the incidence of occupationally related ill health.

A report into securing of loads in transport is due within the next couple of months. This is likely to comment, amongst other things, on load security in curtain sided vehicles.

CRN

CRN are currently scheduling a meeting with members in June/July regarding health and safety issues. This includes data collection, general H&S issues, and occupational health. Targets are to be formulated.

LARAC

Although no LARAC representative was present, the following issues were raised by WISH members as being pertinent to LARAC.

Currently have ongoing audits by HSE Inspectors, with some notices served.
Noise issue in glass collection. It is recognised that most local authorities are just supplying ear defenders, and a lot of equipment is still on trial, eg noise-reduction materials fitted to vehicles.
EU Skills are investigating, with LARAC, national standards for competency.
There are issues with targeting the correct person to talk with within a local authority, particularly with regards to procurement and safety issues. A guide on procuring waste services is to be produced, outlying responsibilities of H&S to contractors of local authorities.

CIWM

CIWM cannot effectively collect accident statistics as individuals rather than companies are members. However, other contributions to an H&S agenda can be initiated.

Special Interest Groups have always covered H&S within their specialist topic areas, further publication of their findings and liaison with ESA was suggested.
CIWM are to investigate the production of a health and safety plan.
CIWM are arranging an H&S meeting of interested parties to potentially develop an SIG on H&S.
The monthly magazine produced by CIWM for members, Wastes Management, will develop an H&S section.

TUC

Contributed to Dame Carol Black's review (Health Work Wellbeing).
Carol Black's review - Health Work Wellbeing
Contributed to the Select Committee on HSE resources, inspection levels and Rose Court.
Reviewing how local authorities operate.
Ongoing campaign within the organisation to raise H&S locally.
Planning to do work on the waste sector at the end of 2008, in the meantime they continue to direct members to appropriate resources on the HSE website.

WAMITAB

WAMITAB continue to offer H&S as part of their courses, currently LSE funded work with external training providers on manual handling and reversing is ongoing, via local authorities.

British Metals Recycling Association

BMRA have a 10 point plan on H&S
Posters have been produced on key H&S issues, eg sealed containers, radioactive sources in scrap. It is hoped to further extend these.
BMRA are in the process of drafting an H&S pledge under their revitalising project. The pledge will not yet be a condition of membership, but it is hoped to work towards this. The pledge was to be signed off on the 24th April 2008 with an official launch date of 1st September 2008. It is planned to get member companies to sign up to reduction targets and to give statistics. Currently there is a 40% response rate and it was hoped this would improve.

The Next Steps for WISH

a. What are the next steps?

WISH have produced lots of guidance, but future directions and progress need to be organised. Hence, there was further discussion on how to progress, and to continue to engage the industry to reduce accident and incidence rates.

b. Target setting

There was a general discussion on whether targets need to be adopted by WISH.

HSE explained the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's/HSC "Revitalising Health and Safety" Strategy launched in 2000. HSE - Revitalising health and safety The strategy, in common with many other government initiatives, presumes that a key component in reducing accident and ill health incidence rates from its current plateau includes setting improvement and performance targets.

ESA stated this was the way forward, supported that assumption, and have set targets and devised a delivery strategy. PABIAC agreed and have already set targets and produced a delivery strategy. BMRA have set targets, and are devising ways to improve their current delivery strategy. CRN agreed with the concept. CIWM agreed with the concept supported by an H&S mission statement/action plan. TUC agreed stating they must be realistic and appropriate.

What should the targets be?

The committee discussed that targets should be high level and not too specific. However, it was felt a national database of figures may be needed. Individual bodies can monitor statistics also. However, it was felt that the process of committing organisations were more important than the actual numbers, and it is not intended there is compeititon on targets, they are there for the benefit of all.

Some discussion centred around trend data, but it was felt the Bomel report was not 100% accurate as it was diluted by other aspects related to waste.
If targets are to be set, it was felt a 5 year plan would be better, it was expected that any shorter would not be a true reflection of trends as accidents may go up in the first two years simply due to better reporting.

Actions: Paul Harvey to initiate a consultative process on which specific targets should be implemented. Targets were to be reviewed and agreed by members of the WISH Committee by the time of the next meeting.

Does WISH Need a Constitution?

Trevor Hay submitted a draft constitution for comment, definitions of membership and means by which organisations are admitted and removed.

Actions: All members were asked to feedback within one month.

Publications

a. Offensive hygiene waste

Request for any final edits, ESA are in the process of reviewing the document.

Actions: All members were asked to feedback within one month.

b. Route risk assessment

This document is close to the final draft as part of a WISH sub-group and is now called 'Safe Collection Routes'.

Actions: All members were asked to feedback within one month to Paul Harvey via email.

c. Hazardous waste (under review)

This document covers hazardous wastes at CA Sites. A draft has been sent to HSE Process Safety to check information on storage of flammable liquids. A final document is due out within two months.

d. Lock-off

This document is not intended for further circulation as has been circulated previously. It is currently being sent for printing with a small change on reference to "information for use".

e. MRFs and Design/Safety Issues

This document has previously been initiated by Geoff Smallwood and Toni Gladding, and is back on the list for future development.

Outcomes in Noise in Glass collection group meeting

The noise sub-group has met. Issues discussed included bristles and removal as these can trap broken glass. There was general agreement to re-define the word 'event' in the document, and a discussion of the responsibilities of manufacturers for such vehicles.

ACTIONS: Trevor Hay to send out a revised document.

Any Other Business

Trevor Hay

The WISH Forum wish Trevor well in his new role and welcome Colin in his place.

Dates of next meetings

Thursday 25th September 2008 at HSE Birmingham Offices
Tuesday 27th January 2009 at ESA London (tbc)