Packaging News

Analysis: Packaging's push to keep the workplace safe

Trade bodies are reporting that workplace accidents and injuries in the packaging sector are down. Philip Chadwick looks at the figures and asks the industry what it is doing to keep its employees safe

The Packaging and Films Association (Pafa) reported last month that accidents and injuries in its sector had fallen by two-thirds in the past seven years. The 2010 figures across 25 UK sites in the flexible packaging market had fallen to a record low. In 2009, the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI) also showed a fall in the number of accidents in the corrugated sector.

But while there has been a downward trend, three separate incidents have recently underlined that the industry can’t afford to be complacent. In June, a Sainsbury’s employee’s hand was trapped in a cardboard packaging compressor in Durham. In the same month, a construction worker was killed at SAICA Pack’s Thrapston site. And last month, foil tray maker i2r Packaging Solutions was ordered to pay more than £15,000 after a worker lost two fingers in an accident.

Thankfully, such incidents are rare. The latest statistics suggest packaging has become a safer place to work over the past decade. There are many reasons, such as a more joined-up approach across industry bodies. But there are also warnings the figures could be affected by the recent economic downturn and some areas aren’t improving as quickly as they should.

Sharing advice
Pafa chief executive Barry Turner says that the association’s health and safety committee has helped to move on the health and safety agenda since it was formed in 2000. "Members have been able to swap best practices," he says. "We’ve been collecting figures for nearly 10 years now. The challenge is to keep the subject in people’s minds."

According to Pafa’s figures, there were 34 reportable injuries or dangerous occurrences in the sector in 2009 – a 67% reduction since the annual survey began in 2003. In addition, all types of accidents fell to 53 last year, compared with 142 in 2003. The numbers of working hours lost due to accidents in the sector was also reduced to 4,826; in 2003 the figure was 14,607.

Pafa’s figures aren’t the only ones that have recorded a drop. Last year, CPI statistics showed that accidents in the corrugated sector were falling with an injury rate of 1,096 per 100,000 employees. That’s a reduction of 42% since 2003. The latest statistics were due to be released as Packaging News went to press and the CPI’s head of health and safety, Andrew Braund, says the downward trend is continuing.

"It’s about continuous improvement," he says. "It’s also about the industry working together. The industry has always taken this subject seriously and we’ve been very proactive."

Pafa’s Turner adds that an effective strategy comes from the director level of an organisation. "There has to be leadership – it’s important that there is commitment from the top," he says.

UK-wide drop
The message has got through to UK industry as a whole. According to the Health and Safety Executive, there were 24 fatal injuries in the manufacturing sector in 2009/10, a rate of 0.9 deaths per 100,000 workers. This compares to an average rate of 1.2% for the previous five years.

Unite the Union has also worked closely with print and packaging industry bodies such as the BPIF and the CPI. Unite’s health and safety officer Bud Hudspith notes that the figures have dropped but has concerns that if the industry relaxes its approach they will rise again. He also questions some of the numbers.

"Have some of these figures been affected by the recession?" he asks. "With more companies shutting down, it means that there are less people working in these sectors. That means there will be fewer accidents."

Hudspith is also concerned that while minor incidents are falling quickly, serious ones, he says, are only falling slightly. He believes the two should be going hand in hand and also expresses doubt over whether every accident is being reported effectively.

"If a smaller company is part of a bigger group, it can be reluctant to report an accident for fear of missing a particular target," claims Hudspith. "And as we come out of recession, more people could be working longer hours, which could result in accidents rising."

Pafa’s Turner, too, is concerned that the tough economic conditions could lead to a slip in health and safety. "It’s important that staff don’t ignore procedures and cut corners to get jobs done faster. That’s when accidents occur."

The next step for the Pafa is to move towards a voluntary code and ensure that the industry polices itself. All industry bodies have worked alongside the Health and Safety Executive and will continue to do so. The crucial thing for the sector is to guard against complacency, warns Unite’s Hudspith.

"It’s good that the figures [for accidents] are falling but we need to make sure that we maintain that position. If you relax then rates will go up."

KEY FIGURES
34 reportable injuries in the flexible packaging sector in 2009

67% reduction in accidents in the flexible packaging sector since 2003

24 fatal injuries in manufacturing in 2009/2010