CONTINUING TO DELIVER A SAFE AND HEALTHY PAPER INDUSTRY

HSC press release: - C053:03 6 October 2003

Are you a paper maker, corrugator or paper recycler? Do you want to know how to make your company a safer and healthier place to work?

If the answer is YES to these questions then come along to the open meeting of Health and Safety Commission's (HSC) Paper and Board Industry Advisory Committee (PABIAC) in Scotland. This is being held at Rothes Halls, Rothes Square, Glenrothes, Fife Scotland KY7 5NX on Tuesday 4 November 2003 starting at 10.15 am. The event is free, but places are limited to first come, first served - a light lunch will be provided.

Over the last few years the paper mills have worked hard to deliver an improvement to their previously poor accident record. However, PABIAC now wants to spread this good work to the whole paper and board industry. To do this, the partners within PABIAC are looking to the corrugators and recyclers to join with the mills in tackling their own poor accident records.

Mike Wilcock, Chair of PABIAC, said "We want people in the industry to know about the work of PABIAC and how we can help to make their lives safer and healthier. The meeting provides an opportunity for comments to be made on a tool being developed for the industry for measuring a company's health and safety performance, to hear about and comment on the proposed Occupational Health strategy for the industry and debate how best to keep people safe who need to work inside machine guards."

There will be presentations on all three of the topics mentioned, and then those attending will be given the chance to comment on them and influence PABIAC's thinking in these areas. The meeting also allows people the chance to tell PABIAC members what other support they would like to see provided.

PABIAC provides expert advice to the HSC on the full range of health & safety issues affecting Britain's paper and board industry. The Committee is made up of representatives of the main employers' associations and trade unions in partnership with HSE.

Notes for Editors

1. The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) oversees the work of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) which, in association with local authorities, enforces health & safety at work standards in Great Britain.

2. PABIAC is a tripartite committee, made up of representatives of the Industry, Trade Unions and the HSE. Its primary aim is to reduce injuries and ill-health caused by work in the paper and board industries. It also promotes acceptable standards of working conditions and welfare in conformity with legal requirements.

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