Statistics cry out for the need for improving the safety standards in the waste management sector with around 4,000 incidents reported each year, four times the national average. A large number of workers are at risk in the sector with an accident rate of 2,500 per 100,000 workers.
Consequently, the Waste management businesses are being instructed by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) to review and enhance the standard of their health and safety measures.
Roger Bibbings, RoSPA occupational safety adviser, says that health and safety conduct should be given serious thought by the industry, and an intensive effort is required to make the sector safer and cut injury related losses.
Mr. Bibbings urged the businesses to understand the necessity for action and not take measures merely because they are required by law. He laid emphasis on the potential of reducing expenses by bringing down the number of serious accidents.
To spread awareness of the need for better safety measures, the RoSPA is hosting a one-day Health and Safety in Waste Management conference next month, supported by the Waste Management Industry Training and Advisory Board.
The RoSPA has also declared that it will come down heavily on those firms, which do not adhere to the guidelines, by imposing stringent penalties for negligence.
To avoid the repercussions of a visit from HSE officials companies should bring themselves and their employees fully up-to-date with the latest H&S regulations. The iosh managing safely is a highly reputable course run by Workplace Law Training and is a good first step to improving your companies H&S culture.