Fact and figures
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The figures in the report Mapping Health and Safety Standards in the UK Waste industry are approximations because 'waste' is not treated as a separate industry in the Standard Industry Classifications (SIC): water and sewage are also included. Also, the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (Riddor) reporting system records refuse collection but excludes recycling and sorting. The 2004 report warns: "This causes problems in identifying in sufficient detail the areas to be targeted for intervention." Data gathering should become easier from 2008 when revised industry classifications (SIC 2007) come into effect.
Waste will be broken down into water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities. This means one of the most important recommendations of the HSE report will be acted upon, hopefully resulting in "improved intelligence for targeting risk controls".
In an industry where the number of fatalities and accidents is unacceptably high this is clearly a good thing, but the report warns: "As the industry changes and moves towards greater recycling, their significance in delivering data is likely to increase."