Health & Safety

Despite concerted efforts to maintain Viridor's focus on the health and safety of its employees, 2009/10 saw a disappointing rise in RIDDOR incidents from 32 (or 1505 per 100,000 employees) in the previous year to 67 (2445 per 100,000 employees), an increase in the RIDDOR rate of some 62%.

Key areas of health and safety focus include:

• Further improving Viridor's Health and Safety performance in line with industry objectives in accordance with the ESA Charter on Accident Reduction
• Improving methods by which acquired companies can quickly embrace the Viridor Health and Safety systems
• Supporting and assisting busy employees in the discharging of their Health and Safety obligations
• Continuing to respond to the ever increasing legislative requirement.

The increase in the RIDDOR incidence rate may be partially explained by improved reporting procedures. Regardless of this, the causes of this increase are complex and varied and potentially include the change in operations to more labour intensive activities in recycling and treatment processes, as well as the increase in the transport fleet accounting for slips and falls from vehicle cabs.

A reduction in slips trips and falls, further improvements to incident reporting, along with reductions in the overall RIDDOR incidence rate will be a primary focus for the coming year.

Proactive health and safety training continues. In 2009, 12 line managers attended training for the NEBOSH General Certificate in Safety and Health. The second intake for 2010 is fully subscribed.

The regulatory authority, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), has increased compliance visits recently and has set up a lead inspector' initiative for each waste management company. This is designed to further improve dialogue between the HSE and industry. It is of note that acquired companies often have lower standards than those of Viridor and concerted efforts are required to implement the company's procedures in a swift and effective manner. The HSE are alive to this issue and take a keen interest at an early stage.

Viridor continues to support industry health and safety management and initiatives via the trade association and with the HSE via the Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) forum. The company also made significant contributions to new HSE guidance on Local Authority Procurement and Waste Contracts on the need to build in sufficient budget to allow safety to be properly managed. Such support will continue.