ACCIDENTS AT ALL TIME LOW – TRAFFIC INCIDE…

The latest report from the Chemical Business Association (CBA) shows that the number of accidents in the chemical logistics sector fell to an all time low in 2017, despite its member companies making more than one million journeys to deliver four and a half million tonnes of chemicals.

CBA’s Logistics Index reports on the health, safety, security and environmental performance of its members companies engaged in haulage, warehousing and tank farm operations. The report, now in its twelfth year, is based on data from 22 companies employing 3,022 people.

Four transport incidents were reported in 2017 (2016 – 1). None of these incidents led to the release of chemicals. CBA reports all such incidents, regardless of fault.

Andrew Beck, Chairman of CBA’s Responsible Care Committee said, “Our 2017 report shows the level of accidents, and the Lost Time Accident Rate, at an all time low. Traffic incidents increased to four in 2017 though none involved the release of chemicals. This increase should be seen in context of CBA’s stricter reporting criteria and the fact that CBA’s logistics members made more than one million separate journeys to deliver more than four and a half million tonnes of chemicals in 2017.”

Reportable Accidents

Logistics companies reported 17 accidents in 2017 (2016 – 23). CBA continues to publish data for accidents resulting in incapacities of more than three days. This exceeds the seven-day standard required by RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences). Maintaining this higher standard preserves the integrity of the time series CBA has established over the last 12 years.

Of the total number of accidents, two resulted in serious injury (2016 – 1) and 88% of all accidents resulted from a manual handling process or a slip, trip or fall. There were no accidents involving an exposure to harmful substances in 2017 (2016 – 0).

Lost Time Accidents

The Lost Time Accident (LTA) rate for 2017, applying the stricter three-day absence criterion, decreased to 0.30 (2016 – 0.40). The LTA rate is the ratio of RIDDOR reportable accidents (plus additional accidents under CBA’s higher criteria) to 100,000 man-hours – the assumed number of hours worked by one person during a lifetime.

Transport Incidents

Incidents involving transport are the key measure of the industry’s performance. In 2017, CBA logistics members reported four incidents involving transport (2016 – 1). This data combines the Department for Transport and RIDDOR reportable incidents with transport incidents attended by the emergency services. Such incidents can include minor traffic accidents, mechanical breakdown or a simple puncture repair.

CBA logistics members made more than one million journeys to deliver more than four million tonnes of chemicals. This gives a transport incident rate for 2017 of 0.86 for every million tonnes of chemicals distributed (2016 – 0.25).

Enforcement

CBA Logistics Services companies reported 20 enforcement actions in 2017 covering both their individual sites and transport (2016 – 10). The Health & Safety Executive issued no Prohibition Notices, or Improvement Notices in relation to sites operated by CBA logistics member companies in 2017. Similarly, no convictions were recorded.

A total of 20 transport Prohibition Notices were issued against CBA members in 2017. Ten were in respect of infringements of a minor nature that did not delay the vehicle’s journey and could be rectified later; ten required the infringement to be rectified immediately.

Further information from: Peter Newport,
Chief Executive Officer, CBA
Michael Cooper,
CBA Responsible Care Co-ordinator
01270 258200
www.chemical.org.uk