Health and safety


It could be argued that politically, Health and Safety has never been in the news as much as it was in 2011.


The Government’s austerity measures forced cutbacks in many civil servant offices, and the political axe has not escaped those within the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).


It’s our responsibility as a modern industry to make Health and Safety a priority. We did in 2011 and we’ll continue to do so.


Some of the trade press have been relentless in their assault, with coverage of how burdensome Health and Safety is on business, or how we are being strangled by ‘over the top’ legislation in the UK. In the words of David Cameron, this “Monster of Health and Safety regulation is like an albatross around the neck of British business”.


As an industry that stresses its eco-friendly credentials and corporate responsibility, the fundamental principles of Health and Safety continue to be an integral part of how we make, convert and recycle paper in the UK. Despite the Government’s rhetoric, the Industry continued to achieve a great deal during 2011, accomplishing so much against the previous strategy of the Paper and Board Industry Advisory Committee (PABIAC).


PAPER AND BOARD INDUSTRY ADVISORY


COMMITTEE The Achievements of PABIAC Strategy 2008 – 2011


Phase two of the PABIAC Strategy ‘Making a difference’ ended in March 2011 after three years of continuous effort. During this period, the Industry’s Health and Safety performance improved significantly.


Accident Performance


The strategy set a target of a 10% year-on-year reduction in accident rates. The Paper Industry has continued to make substantial improvements in its accident performance. The accident rate at the start of the Strategy was 1,271 per 100,000 workers, by 31 March 2011 the rate had fallen to 831, a reduction of 34.6% - equivalent to a 13.2% year-on-year reduction. This means fewer people are being affected by workplace accidents in the Industry, which is good for morale and at the same time good for business.


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In addition to the reduction in injury rates, there has been a more than threefold increase in the number of sites that have benchmarked their Health and Safety management performance. They have also undertaken employee Health and Safety climate surveys and acted upon the results.


Occupational health has been more prominent on the Industry’s agenda, with an increase in the number of companies reviewing and upgrading their occupational health arrangements.


The leadership shown by the Industry has undoubtedly been a significant factor in these improvements, with many senior managers voluntarily pledging their commitment to working towards achieving the strategic targets.


PABIAC restructuring


When it comes to Health and Safety, CPI has been at the forefront of challenging the status quo. In 2011, after much discussion, we were influential in changing the modus operandi in PABIAC from a single committee to a two-tier PABIAC strategy and delivery committee structure. In February, the first PABIAC strategy group met to discuss the long term vision for the Paper-based Industries, and following Industry consultation, agreed the strategic Health and Safety improvement targets for 2012 – 2014. To support the strategy, and to help the industry achieve the targets, each sector now has its own PABIAC Delivery Committee.


PABIAC Sector Delivery Committees


Throughout the year, all of the Delivery Committees were busy working on their sector Health and Safety action plans, which include the start of a comprehensive review of industry-specific guidance. These include ‘Making Paper Safely’; the Corrugated guidance and the HSE publication ‘Recover Paper Safely’. The action plans are now completed and this programme of work will be used in working towards achieving the objectives laid out in the new PABIAC strategy.


Biennial Health and Safety Conference


In November, over 180 Paper Industry delegates from all levels attended the conference. Chief Executive Officers, Managing Directors, Safety Practitioners and Safety Representatives - all were treated to a day of mixed emotions from the speakers.


Paper - the sustainable, renewable choice


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