CIWM Health & Safety Campaign – "This time it's personal"

Are you aware of your responsibilities in the workplace?

Health and safety is a two-way street; your employer must adhere to legal obligations and responsibilities to ensure your safety and wellbeing at the workplace but likewise, you are responsible for your own wellbeing and that of your colleagues or general public if they are affected by what you do (or not do) in the workplace.

You must ensure to:

• take care of your own health and safety and that of people who may be affected around you
• co-operate with others on health and safety and not interfere with, or misuse anything provided for your health, safety or welfare
• follow the training you have received when operating machinery or using work items provided by your employer
• co-operate with your employer, making sure you are properly trained for your task
• report to your employer if something happens that might affect your ability to work
• and much more

This campaign aims to improve the health and safety image and safety culture of the waste sector, improve standards and reduce accidents and fatalities by:

• Ensuring individuals take personal responsibility and know what is expected of them for the health and safety they are able to influence in their role
• Encourage individuals to improve standards by making changes within their area of responsibility including challenging behaviour of others
• Highlight methods of good and best practice and to encourage others to use good examples
• Encourage individuals to share and promote initiatives and best practice particularly where there has been an improvement to their health and safety

Check back here regularly for the latest updates on the campaign.

Programme

The campaign will officially run for a period of 12 months (September 2018 – August 2019).  Each month will focus on a particular subject, see what we’ve got planned for the year to come.  Click below to find out more.

Events

The Health & Safety Event

9-11 April 2019
The NEC
Birmingham, UK
For more information, visit the website here.

Safety & Health Expo Event

18 - 20 June 2019
ExCeL London
UK
For more information, visit the website here.

Webinars

Machinery Safety - 15 November 2018, 10am

This webinar is specifically aimed at waste managers at recycling and recovery plants and covers the basics of lock-off including what is lock-off? When should it be used? What are the basic components of lock-off procedure? Presented by Geoff Smallwood, SHEQ Director at Renewi.

News

Videos on pre and post shift checks and safe operating procedures

In partnership with CIWM and our ‘this time it's personal’ campaign JCB Wastewise have produced a series of videos designed to offer machine operators in the industry guidance on pre and post shift checks and safe operating procedures. The key messages are relevant and applicable to all operators regardless of their chosen manufacturer.

EH40/2005 Workplace exposure limits – latest version

New workplace exposure limits for 31 substances have been introduced from 21 August 2018. This latest version of EH40 has been updated to include new and revised workplace exposure limits (WELs) introduced by the 4th Indicative Occupational Exposure Limit Values (IOELV) Directive. It will guide those responsible for controlling exposure to hazardous substances at work.  Download a free copy here.

CIWM launches 'This time it's personal': H&S campaign targets individual responsibility

Individual awareness and behaviour change is at the heart of a new CIWM health and safety (H&S) campaign being launched today at RWM. Spearheaded by CIWM’s Health, Safety & Wellbeing Special Interest Group (SIG), the aim is to get CIWM members to question their own approach to health and safety and to encourage them to consider H&S issues on a daily basis as part of normal operations.

One month until UK hosts Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit

The first ever Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit will take place in London on 9 and 10 October.

Leading voices in health and care are being asked sign a declaration committing to putting mental health on the same footing as physical health. Average global spend on mental health is just 2.8% of government health spending. In the UK that figure is around 9.5%.

CIWM to launch health & safety campaign – “this time it’s personal”

CIWM is set to launch a brand-new health and safety (H&S) campaign in June this year, with an emphasis on highlighting the need for CIWM members to take personal responsibility for their H&S. Click here to find out more.

CIWM campaign in the news

An article promoting the 'This time it's personal' campaign is in Health and Safety at Work news.

Articles

How important are statistics to the waste industry

If you’re working in the waste industry for the past few years, unless you’ve been living on Mars that is, you will have undoubtedly heard that we are one of the worst performers for health and safety out of all workplaces in various industry publications.  But what does that actually mean?

‘Hand hygiene, and gloves too!’

Hand hygiene is universally important and the waste sector is no exception…

‘Safety in Composting Halls: Managing the risks from Carbon Monoxide’

The importance of fitting the correct sensors for carbon monoxide monitoring in enclosed composting facilities has been highlighted by recent research conducted by the Open University, in collaboration with Amey Ltd.

Legislation, Guidance and Best Practice

1. COSHH – Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
   
   
2. LOLER – Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998
   
   
3. PUWER – Provision and use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
   
   
4. RIDDOR – Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurences Regulations 2013
   
   
5. Health and Safety Executive – waste sector pages

These web pages cover the main processes and the main causes of injury and illness associated with them. Each topic provides information and advice to help improve health and safety in the waste management and recycling industry.

Health and safety statistics for the waste sector in Great Britain

6. WISH Forum

The Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) Forum exists to communicate and consult with key stakeholders, including local and national government bodies, equipment manufacturers, trade associations, professional associations and trade unions. The aim of WISH is to identify, devise and promote activities that can improve industry health and safety performance.

7. WISH NI Forum

Representatives from the waste management and recycling industry in Northern Ireland have come together to form the Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) forum.

8. SWITCH Forum

SWITCH (Scottish Waste Industry Training, Competency, Health & Safety) is a multi-partnership forum made up of organisations across all sectors within the resource management industry.

These organisations include Zero Waste Scotland, Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Government, private waste management companies, advisory bodies and local authorities.

Reports

HSE – Common Human Factors underlying worker fatalities in the waste and recycling industry Report RR1128

EREF - SWANA - Household needlestick injuries in municipal solid waste
When disposed of improperly, needles present a potential injury risk to waste industry workers, especially in MRFs where sorting recyclables can put employees in contact with sharps and, as a result, blood borne pathogens.  Currently, data regarding the rate and extent of these injuries is limited.  Obtain a copy of the report here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. I joined up to the CIWM H&S Pledge in 2013, does the ‘This time it’s personal’ campaign follow on from the Pledge?

• A. ‘This time it’s personal’ has similar objectives to the H&S Welfare Pledge in that it aims to raise awareness and promote actions about the health, safety and welfare issues faced by the waste sector.  In the ‘This time it’s personal’ campaign CIWM members are being encouraged to share examples of good practice and good behaviours by writing articles and blogs for the dedicated website which will receive the campaign stamp to show it is in response to the campaign.

For more information, visit the HSE website here.

Q. What qualifications are required to make a career in health and safety?

• A. The qualifications that are required to make a career in health and safety are dependent on the type of role that you take and range from short introductory courses, NEBOSH General Certificate and NEBOSH Diploma. More information can be found on the RoSPA website.

Q. What training do I need to operate vehicles and plant?

• A. There are no government issued licences for vehicles at work, the law requires that each operator is given adequate training by their employer so that they are competent to operate the machinery which they use, see the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1990; regulation 9.