CBA’s latest report on the safety, health, security and environmental performance of its distributor member companies for 2019 shows a decline in the number of transport incidents, no change in the number of on-site accidents, and a slight increase in the industry’s Lost Time Accident Rate. In 2019, no convictions were recorded against CBA member companies.
In 2019, CBA members companies completed more than 1.25 million separate journeys to distribute over four million tonnes of chemicals.
CBA’s annual report is based on Indices of Performance compiled as part of its industry-wide Responsible Care programme. These reports have been published annually since 1993. The 2019 report is based on returns from 93 companies employing 5,738 people.
Peter Newport, CBA’s Chief Executive and Chair of CBA’s Responsible Care Committee, said, “The chemical supply chain continues to demonstrate the safety of its distribution process. Just three transport incidents occurred in 2019 with member companies completing 1.25 million journeys to deliver their products, more than 3,000 separate journeys every day.”
“Applying CBA’s stricter reporting criteria, 30 on-site accidents occurred of which one third resulted from a manual handling process, or a slip, trip or fall. Whilst this is at a similar level to the last three years, it is still higher than we would like,” he added.
Reportable Accidents
CBA publishes data for accidents resulting in incapacities of more than three days. This is a higher standard than required by RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations). Maintaining this higher standard preserves the integrity of the annual time series CBA has established since 1993.
Using this stricter criterion, in 2019, CBA member companies reported 30 accidents resulting in incapacities of more than three days – exactly the same as the previous year (2018 – 30). Under the official RIDDOR seven-day criterion, 25 accidents would be reportable (2018 – 19).
In 2019, accidents resulting from a manual handling process or a slip, trip or fall accounted for 33% of the total. Seven accidents resulted from an exposure to a harmful substance (2018 – 5). No fatalities were reported in 2019.
Lost Time Accidents
Applying the stricter three-day absence criterion, the Lost Time Accident (LTA) rate rose slightly to 0.28 (2018 – 0.27). The LTA rate is the ratio of reportable accidents to 100,000 man-hours – the assumed number of hours worked by one person during their lifetime. The LTA rate for just those accidents statutorily reportable under the RIDDOR reporting requirements also rose to 0.23 (2018 – 0.17).
Transport Incidents
Incidents involving transport are a key measure of the industry’s performance. CBA’s data goes beyond the thresholds set by the Department for Transport and for RIDDOR-reportable incidents. They include any transport incident requiring the attendance of the emergency services.
Such incidents can include minor traffic accidents, mechanical breakdown or a simple puncture repair. CBA reports all such incidents regardless of fault in relation to their cause.
After applying these stricter criteria, the number of transport incidents continues at a historically low level – a notable achievement by the industry and one that shows the long-term impact of CBA’s Responsible Care programme.
In 2019, CBA member companies made over one and a quarter million separate journeys to distribute over four million tonnes of chemicals. Just three transport incidents were reported (2018 – 5). This equates to 0.7 transport incidents for every million tonnes of product distributed by CBA members in 2019 – a decrease on the previous year (2018 – 1.2).
Waste
CBA members reported 9,000 tonnes of Special/Hazardous Waste in 2019 resulting from their own activities. Of this total, 22% (1,959 tonnes) was recycled, recovered or disposed of with energy recovery.
CBA members generated 7,197 tonnes of non-hazardous waste in 2019. Of this total, 49% (2,805 tonnes) was recycled, recovered or disposed of with energy recovery.
Enforcement
No convictions were recorded against CBA members in 2019 (2018 – 2).
No Prohibition Notices were issued against CBA members by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), but one HSE Improvement Notice was issued in respect to the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations (COMAH) and one notice was issued by the Environment Agency regarding the Environmental Permitting Regulations.
Of the thirteen transport Prohibition Notices in 2019, four were in respect of infringements of a minor nature that did not delay the vehicles’ journeys and could be rectified later; nine required the infringement to be rectified immediately.