Plan for Reducing UK Waste Handling Deaths Released
"We wanted this to be a sort of road map to healthier and safer industry – something that lets anyone in waste and recycling join us on a journey. There’s a long road ahead, but we're off in the right direction," said WISH Chair Chris Jones.
A plan for reducing deaths and serious injuries among British waste and recycling industry workers has been published by the Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) Forum, which has been working on it since a summit meeting in February, the Health and Safety Executive announced. It outlines 24 immediate action points under these themes: providing strong leadership, involving the workforce, building competence, creating healthier and safer workplaces, and providing support for small and medium-sized employers.
"WISH has been working to improve health, safety and welfare in waste and recycling for more than a decade, and we've made some good progress in that time," said Chris Jones, WISH chair and director of Risk Management and Compliance at Cory Environmental. "There's no shortage of desire in the industry to improve our record.This was clear from the summit in February and the amount of energy and commitment been shown in getting us to this point in publishing the blueprint. If the industry combines its efforts, contributes, and supports the work needed, then everything is achievable, and without unreasonable cost or burden. The more that take part in, and contribute to, the working groups that are being set up, the greater will be the knowledge base, the wider the experience and the lesser will be the burden upon everybody."
"We wanted this to be a sort of road map to healthier and safer industry – something that lets anyone in waste and recycling join us on a journey. There’s a long road ahead, but we're off in the right direction."
"This is a really important development in the drive for improved health and safety in the waste and recycling sector," said Graeme Walker, HSE's waste and recycling lead. "Iit shows the industry's unequivocal commitment to reducing the number of people killed, injured, or made unwell. We know from our experience in other sectors, such as construction, that long-term sustainable improvements rely on strong industry leadership, and that is what we are seeing here."