Health and Safety in plastics survey shows fewest accidents for twenty years

The British Plastics Federation has released its Accidents Survey, a collection of data from its member companies on Health and Safety.

The survey revealed the most common accident at 110 firms was from ‘handling, lifting or carrying’, accounting for 18 per cent of accidents. This has increased from 2016, the most common type of accident in the plastics industry.

‘Other cuts’ (not knife-related injuries) and a ‘hit against stationary object’ were the other dominant causes of accidents, with both accounting for 14 per cent of accidents. Sharp edges, contact with machine blades, trimming tools and cardboard packaging were among the major causes of non-knife-related cuts. It is worth pointing out that if the figures for knife-related injuries are added to those for non-knife-related accidents, cuts account for almost a quarter of all accidents in the plastics industry.

The next most common types of accident are ‘slip, trip or fall from same level’ and ‘hit by moving, including flying or falling object’.

BPF Head of Public and Industrial Affairs Francisco Morcillo, said: “Workers’ safety is of paramount importance so we are pleased to see that the number of major accidents is at its lowest since 2012. Most encouraging is the achievement of the SIMPL programme, with those signed up to the scheme reporting the lowest number of accidents since the scheme began in 2010.”