J&B News & Updates

23.05.23

J&B Recycling is a leading recycling company in the UK with an excellent track record in waste management and recycling. The company prides itself on its commitment to safety, quality, and environmental protection. However, recent reports by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have revealed some worrying statistics about safety concerns in other waste facilities.

HSE data, recently obtained by ZoneSafe via a Freedom of Information (FoI) request, reveals that the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) found serious safety concerns at 43% of the waste sites it visited in the UK.

The top two priorities were identified as reducing the number of people being struck by moving vehicles and the number of workers being caught in moving machinery.

The latest HSE figures show there was one worker death reported in 2021/22, however over the previous five-year period, (2017/18-2021/22), 27 workers lost their lives with 10 of these due to being struck by a moving vehicle.

The FoI data revealed a material breach rate of 43%. A material breach involves a matter the inspector considers serious enough to formally write to the business to outline the steps it needs to take. This means around 260 of the 610 sites visited contravened current health and safety rules.

David Thomas, general manager at ZoneSafe, said: “This FoI request has highlighted how the waste and recycling sector remains a dangerous place for workers. Despite the significant strides forward that the industry has made, there is still work to be done, particularly around moving vehicles.”

It is clear that safety and environmental standards in waste management and recycling need to be improved across the industry. That said, here at J&B Recycling, we have made several significant investments in recent years to ensure the safety of our workforce.

In 2022 J&B Recycling invested more than £40,000 to enhance safety at our sites across the North East with the installation of SiteZone, a proximity warning system for managing the risk of plant to pedestrian collisions. The SiteZone Proximity Warning System produces a detection zone around a vehicle, machine, or restricted area. When the detection zone is breached by someone wearing a SiteZone tag, the machine operator, pedestrian, and others working nearby are alerted.

Michael Robinson, Health and Safety Manager at J&B Recycling, says: "As the Health and Safety Manager at J&B Recycling, I can confidently confirm that we operate the highest health and safety standards throughout our operations. The recent report by the HSE highlighting serious safety concerns on 43% of site visits to other waste facilities is a cause for concern for the industry. At J&B Recycling, we prioritise the safety of our employees, the environment, and the public, and we will continue to uphold our commitment to best practices in health and safety."

Companies like J&B Recycling are setting a good example, but more needs to be done across the industry to ensure that workers are safe, the environment is protected, and the public is not put at risk. We must prioritise safety and environmental protection in all aspects of waste management and recycling to ensure a sustainable future for all.

If you operate a business in the North East of England, >> get in touch to find out how we can offer a safe, sustainable waste management solution and potentially save you money on your waste collection.