87% of people employed in recycling and waste feel safe at work

87% of people working in the recycling and waste industry report feeling safe at work, according to a recent study conducted for the Environmental Services Association (ESA).

The survey also found that more than 90% of people employed in the sector felt happy to raise health and safety concerns within their organisation.

While around 85% of people felt that adequate training enabled them to undertake work safely and that they were given useful safety information.

However, for the second survey in a row, the quality of welfare facilities and attitudes towards mental health received the lowest scores compared with other factors, although most respondents still viewed these as positive.

The ESA’s Health & Safety Culture survey was conducted by Snap Surveys between July and September and received over 2000 responses.

The first Health & Safety Culture survey was conducted in 2022 to set a benchmark against nine different factors the ESA believes contribute to the industry’s health and safety culture.

The survey follows the release of Health & Safety Executive statistics for 2023/24 that showed the fatal injury rate in the waste industry is 3.65 per 100,000 workers, which is 9.1 times the all industry rate.

Commenting on the survey, ESA Policy Advisor, Stephen Freeland, said: “An improved health and safety culture was identified as a key priority area underpinning the ESA’s Health & Safety Strategy.

“While it is perhaps a little disappointing that there is no significant change to report in safety culture in the intervening two-year period between the first and second surveys, it is nonetheless encouraging that satisfaction levels across most of the nine statements have remained consistently high.

“Clearly there remains some work for our industry to do in respect of welfare facilities and attitudes towards mental health, both of which are areas ESA has produced guidance and resources to support over the last year.”

The Environmental Services Association is the largest trade association representing the UK’s private sector recycling and waste treatment industry.

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