Risk, Health and Safety Information

Blueprint to set out health and safety issues and solutions for waste industry

A blueprint for addressing the terrible toll of death, injury and ill health in the waste and recycling industry is to be published following a landmark summit.

Senior figures from across the sector met in Solihull to agree the key health and safety issues facing the industry and what needs to be done to tackle its poor health and safety record.
The event, aimed at building consensus and bringing together key players in the industry, was organised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) Forum.

The plan will be published in April following ratification by WISH and will contain sections on leadership, competence, worker involvement, support for small business, and creating safer, healthier workplaces.

Giving the keynote speech to the conference, HSE chair Judith Hackitt said it was important to have a common understanding of the health and safety issues facing the industry. She said:
"We must work together to respond to the current challenges and drive improvements in health and safety performance, but improving the track record is not for HSE to resolve alone - industry must take the lead."

Chris Jones, WISH chair and Director of Risk Management and Compliance at Cory Environmental, said:

"The theme of the summit was delivering the solution together. We have established now that there is a clear willingness and commitment to take action - now we have to stop talking about it and get on with making it happen."