BPF_Survey
Surveys are a way of monitoring industry feeling and trends
In this month’s edition of his exclusive column, Philip Law, Director-General of the British Plastics Federation, talks numbers as he identifies some of the key findings of the association’s recent members surveys and what they tell us about the industry.
The BPF carries out many surveys. Members might get fed up with their frequency, but usually we are able to keep them short and sharp and recipients of the questionnaire can normally fill them in rapidly, either with easily accessible data or even off the top of their heads. The surveys are crucial, as they keep the BPF on top of industry trends and it can use the conclusions in its advocacy work on the economics of the industry and on regulatory issues. We say “it helps us to help you.” The response rate is usually good and makes for credible results. The results of one of our key surveys has just been published; this was on accidents in the workplace. It is vital to have information on the pattern of accidents so that we can pinpoint the areas where the members most need help.
We had 110 firms responding and the most common accident identified was in the area of “handling, lifting or carrying”, accounting for 18 percent of accidents. This has increased from the previous year and reconfirms it as the most common type of accident in our industry. The survey also showed that “other cuts” (not knife-related injuries) and a “hit against a stationary object” were other major causes of accidents, with both accounting for 14 percent. Sharp edges, contact with machine blades, trimming tools and cardboard packaging were among the major causes of non-knife-related cuts. If 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 identified were “slips, trips or falls from the same level” (13 percent) and “hit by moving, including flying or falling objects” (11 percent).
Back in 2010, the BPF, together with the Health and Safety Executive and other related trade associations and trade unions, launched SIMPL (Safety In Manufacturing Plastics). This is a health and safety strategy for the plastics industry that aims for accident reductions. So far, more than 100 companies have signed the SIMPL pledge at CEO level. The results show that the number of accidents for those that have signed up to SIMPL was the lowest since the programme began. If you would like to sign up to SIMPL or require further information, please contact Dr Sara Cammarano at the BPF.
With the onset of the Brexit negotiations we carried out a survey of the industry’s workforce to explore the industry’s use of non -UK EU citizens. Some very interesting facts emerged. The UK plastics industry is the third largest manufacturing sector in terms of employment with 166,000 people, of which, roughly 18,000 are non-UK EU citizens and 4,000 come from the rest of the world. EU workers account for roughly 11 percent of the entire workforce in the industry and one in five of all factory floor workers. It is clear that the industry has a significant reliance on EU workers — especially temporary workers — and that the uncertainty of Brexit is encouraging many companies to consider automating some roles.
The survey showed that more than half of UK plastics companies rely on employing temporary workers during busy periods — and here EU citizens play a very prominent role, making up 48 percent of temporary workers. A quarter of the companies surveyed stated that they would like any new immigration policy to help them meet short-term, temporary needs.
Before the referendum, roughly half of UK plastics companies were having trouble recruiting. January’s BPF Business Conditions Survey showed that this had increased, with just under two-thirds of plastics companies reporting difficulty filling key roles. The more recent survey, specifically about EU workers, shows that 10 percent of companies feel they are having trouble filling vacancies as a direct result of the EU referendum, whereas 58 percent do not feel the result has affected their overall workforce.
The survey shows that factory floor staff and engineers are the toughest roles to fill and in order to plug the potential gap left by EU workers, 61 percent of companies say they may employ UK workers, 39 percent may train existing staff, while almost a third (29 percent) are also looking into the possibility of automating the roles.
There is some evidence of some non-EU citizens having returned home since the Brexit referendum vote. The weakness of sterling and wider job opportunities created on the back of economic recovery on the continent will, in all likelihood, give this issue a higher profile.