The
HSE statistics reveal that the number of fatal accidents in
the waste management sector is over 16 times the national average, while
accident rates in this sector are over four times the national average.
Table 1: Typical
accident rates in the waste industry (2010/2011) Source HSE statistics
|
Industry
|
Accident rates per 100,000 workers
|
|||
|
Fatalities
|
Major Injury
|
Over Three-day
|
All Injuries
|
|
|
Waste
|
10
|
438
|
1954
|
2447
|
|
All Industries
|
0.6
|
99
|
363
|
462
|
Causes of accidents
There are several main categories for accidents in the
industries associated with waste handling:• Manual handling injuries (41 %)
• Slips, trips and falls (26 %)
• Struck by objects (16 %)
• Falls, from vehicles (6 %)
• Transport related accidents (4 %)
• Machinery related injuries (3 %)
For manual handling injuries, typical causative factors
include:
•
Lifting or performing a movement with too much
force • Lifting or performing a movement in an awkward position, or
• Repeating the lift/movement too often
With respect to slips, trips and falls, typical causative
factors include:
•
Storing materials or other unnecessary items on
walkways and in work areas.• Creating and/or using wet, muddy, sloping or otherwise irregular walkways and work surfaces.
• Constructing and or using improper walkways, stairs or landings or damaging these surfaces
• Creating and/or using uneven terrain in and around work areas
• Working from elevated work surfaces and ladders
• Using damaged or defective steps to enter vehicles
Workers may be struck by falling objects or, more commonly,
by objects that have been thrown.
Machinery related accidents cover a very wide range of
machine types and accident types. Some
of these are fatal; while others may lead to serious, severe injuries,
including: amputations, crush injuries, severe cuts, etc. There have been many reported cases
(including prosecutions) arising from the use of conveyors. Workers are injured as a result of poorly
guarded conveyor systems, especially in cases where workers are attempting to
remove an obstruction from the conveyor while it is still in operation.
Some categories of transport related
accident are more common in the waste industry (especially kerbside
collections) than elsewhere, such as:
•
Workers having their ankles and feet run over by
forward-moving vehicles; either due to standing too close or due to
slipping/tripping from kerbs whilst the vehicle is moving past.
•
Workers being injured whilst trying to get onto
or off moving vehicles.
•
Reversing vehicles being guided by two
‘banksmen’ and striking one whilst the driver was watching the other for
instructions.
•
Banksmen failing to stop reversing vehicles with
either verbal or hand signals and either being struck themselves or resulting
in others being struck.
•
Workers not expecting vehicles to move, and
being struck, such as when the driver was not aware of the worker behind the
vehicle.
Avoiding accidents
Many of the steps that may be employed to avoid accidents
and injuries are simple, relatively low cost measures. Avoiding manual handling injuries can be
achieved through:
•
Providing appropriate mechanical assistance and
equipment (such as carts, trolleys, adjustable work stations for the operators
and appropriate tools).
•
Providing this equipment in convenient locations.
•
Training workers in appropriate manual handling
techniques and the avoidance of ergonomic risks, etc.
•
Undertaking suitable and sufficient assessments
of the risks for the manual handling operations undertaken and introducing
suitable measures to avoid and/or control the risks arising.
•
Reviewing the size, shape and weight of
materials to be moved, especially those that are handled regularly.
•
Reviewing the design of vehicles, such as
(retro) fitting tail gates lifts and scissor lifts, etc.
In line with many other industry sectors, slips and trips
can be avoided or controlled by fairly measures, including:
•
Ensuring good standards of housekeeping in work
areas – avoid the build up of litter, debris and other general detritus.
•
Ensuring that adequate lighting is provided to
all work areas.
•
Ensuring that suitable safety footwear is
provided to workers and that it is worn as appropriate.
•
Providing suitable, robust handrails, to steps
and stairs, etc.
•
Reviewing the layout and design of the work
area.
•
Ensuring that all floors are even and are
maintained in good condition (through regular inspection and maintenance).
•
Ensuring that all floors are constructed from
suitable materials and (where appropriate) are designed to be non-slippery when
wet.
•
Cleaning up spillages promptly and ensuring that
suitable materials are available and that suitable procedures are in place).
Falls from heights involving vehicles can be avoided and/or
reduced by:
•
Training workers to be aware of the risks of
falling from vehicles, even from simple operations such as getting into and out
of cabs.
•
Working at the culture endemic in the waste
industry of “it won’t happen to me”
•
Reviewing the design and layout of areas where
waste materials are loaded and unloaded onto vehicles.
•
Avoiding working from heights (such as elevated
surfaces and ladders) by reviewing the activities and modifying the operations
and/or the work area as appropriate.
•
Reviewing the design of vehicles, such as
(retro) fitting tail-gates lifts and scissor lifts, etc.
Many of the accidents involving machinery can often be
avoided by:
•
Ensuring that all machinery is designed (and
maintained) to be as safe as is practicable.
•
Ensuring that machine guards are available and
are in place at all times.
•
Introducing regular inspections of machinery,
looking for defects in the equipment and checking for any defective or missing
guard or other safety features (such as interlock systems).
•
Instructing workers in the safe operation of the
machinery and, especially, in the actions to be taken when clearing
obstructions, etc.
•
Ensuring that emergency stop controls are
operational and are sited in suitable locations.
Many of the transport related accidents can be avoided by
greater attention to the task in hand (such as by removing the culture of “it
won’t happen to me” that exists within the waste and transport industry) and
encouraging workers not to take shortcuts or to adopt sloppy practices. Further training of both the banksmen and the
drivers in accurate communication will also have a beneficial effect in
preventing many vehicle related accidents and injuries.
It is relatively simple to prevent workers being struck by
thrown objects: prohibit the throwing of objects. If this is not a reasonably practicable
solution, then organise the work area such that workers are not in the line of fire of thrown objects.
Summary
Many people are hurt and killed each year as a result of
working in the waste industry. Many of
these accidents can be avoided by implementing a few relatively simple
measures:
•
Undertaking suitable and sufficient assessments
of the risks arising from operations and implementing (and enforcing the use
of) suitable control measures
•
Further training (including risk awareness
training as well job specific training).
•
Changing the culture of “it won’t happen to me”
to a more positive and proactive culture.
•
Improving and monitoring housekeeping standards.
•
Improving and monitoring the use and condition
of machine guards and other safety features.
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