Spearheaded by Health & Safety Executive Northern Ireland (HSENI) and the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) Northern Ireland Centre, the forum will bring together stakeholders from across the waste and recycling sector to identify, devise and promote activities to improve health and safety standards across the industry.
A similar WISH forum is already in place for England, Scotland and Wales. While some of its members, such as CIWM, represent the whole of the UK, there has not to date been a dedicated Northern Irish stakeholder body looking at waste sector health and safety.
Speaking at the launch, Mr Poots warmly welcomed the initiative. He said: The waste and recycling industry is a growing and dynamic sector. Like any other industrial process, however, the management of waste does carry risks and I welcome the establishment of the WISH NI forum as a means to improve risk management and protect all those working in the sector.
Representatives
Once it is formally constituted, it is expected that WISH NI will include representatives from a broad range of relevant bodies, including the British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA), CIWM Northern Ireland, Container Handling Equipment Manufacturers, Department of the Environment PEPG Unit, district councils, Energy and Utility Skills, Environmental Services Association (ESA), HSENI, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, relevant trade unions and the Waste Management Industry Training and Advisory Board (WAMITAB).
Malcolm Downey, principal inspector at Health & Safety Executive Northern Ireland, said: Health and safety is a priority for the waste industry but there is room for improvement and WISH NI will provide a valuable collaborative platform to help HSENI spread important health and safety messages like this to an industry-wide audience.
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The waste industry is committed to managing and mitigating the risks associated with the collection, transport and treatment of waste, said CIWM chief executive Steve Lee. There has been a substantial reduction in the number of incidents in recent years due to the commitment shown by many companies and local authorities in the industry to maintaining high standards of health and safety. We aim to build on this and the new WISH (NI) forum will support the whole sector in driving up performance even further.
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