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HEALTH AND SAFETY PERFORMANCE OF THE WASTE INDUSTRY

Estimates made by the HSE suggest that there are around 160,000 workers employed in the UK waste industry, of which around 120,000 are employed in the private sector. Estimates indicate that there may be 40,000 to 45,000 waste workers in the public sector. Whilst the largest employers in the waste industry are a small number of large integrated waste management companies, the waste industry is composed primarily of SMEs.

 The UK waste industry typically reports around 4,100 to 4,300 accidents per year.

 

• The overall accident rate for the waste industry in 2001/02 is estimated to be around 2,500 per 100,000 workers, around four times the national rate.

• The fatal injury accident rate for the waste industry in 2001/02 is estimated to be around 10 per 100,000 workers. This is ten times the national rate.

• The major injury accident rate for the waste industry in 2001/02 is estimated to be around 330 per 100,000 workers, more than three times the national rate.