CIA says voluntary energy agreements are `under consideration'

The latest Health and Safety Commission statistics for reportable accidents during 1995/6 places in mid-table both the total chemical industry and the CIA's membership, the latter somewhat safer. During 1996, there were two fatalities in CIA companies; one staff and one contractor.

Lost time accidents (LTAs) among members dropped to 0.45/100 000 man-hours (0.50 in 1995). Eighteen per cent of major injuries and 10 per cent of three day-plus injuries were attributable to chemicals. LTAs amongst contractors' staff were up to 0.44 accidents per 100 000 man hours (0.42 in 1995).

Turning to distribution incidents, he said: `In 1996 we transported 51 million tonnes of chemicals around the UK. The number of incidents fell to 72 (109). Half of this tonnage went by road and only 3 per cent by rail.

Of the industries' total capital expenditure of £2153m during 1996 (£2092m in 1995), capital expenditure on environmental improvements were £243m, or 11 per cent (£255m and 12 per cent, respectively).

The chief environmental sector to benefit from spending concerned emissions to air, which accounted for 52 per cent of the investment. `Red list' industrial discharges (heavy metals, DDT and many chlorinated aromatics) fell to 37T. Such wastes were disposed of by: landfill 52 per cent; incineration (18); incineration with energy recovery (12); reprocessing and separation (18). The chemical industries give rise to up to seven per cent of the UK's VOC emissions, totalling 80kT.

The drive towards greater energy efficiency has resulted in a 14 per cent reduction in the chemicals industries' share of total UK consumption, which now stands at 3.5 per cent of the total. As of the end of 1996, CIA member company sites have a 35 per cent share of the UK's combined heat and power system usage.

`With the DoE, we are considering a voluntary agreement on energy efficiency. This industry sector is playing its part in terms of energy efficiency,' he said.

`There are already a number of quality, health and safety and environmental management systems in place in CIA member companies. It has taken our sites longer than they expected to get EMAS or ISO14001 certification, but, in particular, I expect the figure of 6 per cent of sites which have formal environmental management systems to improve.'