20 Feb 2013
A landmark summit has been held to address the poor health and safety record of the waste and recycling industry.
Senior figures from the sector met in Solihull to agree on a blueprint for tackling the high rate of death, injury and ill health in the industry.
Their plan of action will be published in April after it has been ratified by the Waste Industry Safety and Health (Wish) forum, which organised the conference alongside the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The blueprint will include sections on leadership, competence, worker involvement, support for small business and creating safer, healthier workplaces.
HSE chair Judith Hackitt, who gave the keynote speech at the summit, said it was important to have a common understanding of the health and safety issues facing the industry.
“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,” she said.
Copyright Press Association 2013