Heath and Safety | esauk.org

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Setting and achieving ever-higher health and safety standards is a top priority for the ESA.

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Recycling and waste treatment has statistically been one of the UK’s most dangerous industries to work in.

In 2004 the Environmental Services Association launched its Accident Reduction Charter and, since then, has reduced workplace injuries by around 85%. Our members’ collective RIDDOR incident rate (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) remains significantly and consistently lower that the sectoral average.

However, just one workplace injury is one too many, which is why the ESA and its members continue to set and work towards the highest industry safety standards. We won’t be satisfied until every single person working across our sector goes home safely at the end of the day.

The ESA convenes a H&S Committee; a H&S Strategy Working Group and a number of topic-specific sub-groups. This organisational H&S structure helps the ESA deliver its strategic priorities and best equips the ESA to embrace a more holistic approach towards improved H&S performance, while liaising closely with bodies like WISH and the HSE.

Through its H&S Strategy Group, ESA produces an annual H&S work programme which sets out priorities and deliverables for the coming year – typically covering a broad spectrum of H&S activities, for example, from mitigating workplace violence and aggression to managing mental health, improving welfare facilities and understanding the safety implications of electric vehicle fleets. This year’s H&S programme is available to view on the Resources page and in our members area.

These working groups also offer effective forums for sharing incident alerts; for identifying and sharing best practice and for creating sector-leading assets and campaigns – much of which is also available to view and download from the Resources page.

Additionally, the ESA regularly produces research documents to support our H&S work programme, including a biennial Health and Safety Culture Survey for the sector. Read our latest news and publications related to H&S below.