HSE Cost-Recovery Scheme – A small step for the HSE, but a giant leap for the Resource Management Sector

The HSE's cost-recovery scheme, known as Fee for Intervention (FFI), will begin on 1st October, subject to Parliamentary approval, the regulator has announced.

The Waste industry in recent years has come under the Health & Safety Executive's spotlight for all the wrong reasons. BOMEL & BOMEL 2 highlighted levels of accidents, including fatalities, which are unacceptable in the 21st Century; and whilst statistics show a downward trend, the waste industry must continue to improve its record on health & safety.

WAMITAB is committed to developing vocational programmes for operational staff working in the waste industry. These programmes help to develop health & safety awareness and competence which should go some way to seeing a reduction of accidents in the future.

Investing in workforce competence should be a win-win situation, not only helping to reduce risks/liabilities but in raising job awareness, increasing self esteem and raising the profile/quality of the service; in many respects helping to prepare it for the challenging times which lie ahead.

Improving competence and risk reduction are particularly important during waste collection and recycling, given the industry's current poor accident record and are so significant that some insurers are prepared to reduce premiums if the employer commits to a competence development programme.

Furthermore, WAMITAB as a founder member, has committed itself to supporting the Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) Strategy for reducing accidents in the waste management and recycling industries. WISH is a multi-party forum made up of organisations representing the waste and recycling industry.

Sue Wright, Business Development Manager at WAMITAB says, "WAMITAB fully supports the WISH Strategic objectives, particularly those that seek to increase the health and safety competence of people employed in the industry. For many years WAMITAB's vocational qualifications have played an important role in this process and our assessors are ideally placed to improve health and safety attitudes and behaviour on the 'front-line'. WAMITAB will continue to focus on H & S issues within the delivery network which includes maintaining the H & S competence of its assessors/verifiers."