Northern Ireland Health Minister Edwin Poots has launched a new Waste Industry Safety and Health Forum for Northern Ireland (WISH NI).
The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSE NI) and the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) Northern Ireland Centre spearheaded the forum, which will bring together stakeholders from the waste and recycling sectors to improve health and safety standards in the industry.
Despite the fact that similar forums are already in place in England, Scotland and Wales, Northern Ireland has not, until now, had a dedicated stakeholder body looking at waste sector health and safety.
Mr Poots has welcomed the forum, saying, "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."
The chief executive of CIWM, Steve Lee, also welcomes the new forum, "The waste industry is committed to managing and mitigating the risks associated with the collection, transport and treatment of waste." He added, "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."
