The Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) Forum is independent, multi-party and made up of organisations from across the waste and recycling sector.
The WISH steering group’s members include representatives from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), main trade associations, professional associations, trade unions, recycling organisations and national and local government bodies involved in waste management and recycling.
What WISH does
WISH’s main activities include:
- identifying critical health and safety and related issues for the waste and recycling sector
- providing strategy and direction on those issues
- producing sector guidance and advice documents
WISH also works with HSE on regulatory issues, answers specific waste-related health, safety and wellbeing queries, co-ordinates research and provides an open ‘discussion space’ for the sector.
Further information on WISH, its members and the work it is currently carrying out can be found on the Waste Industry Safety and Health Forum website.
How WISH works
WISH’s purpose is to provide information, identify solutions and stimulate action across the industry to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of those working in the industry and those affected by its activities.
It works by consensus and partnership, promoting good practice, sharing ideas and solutions.
WISH continues to promote, publicise, facilitate and bring about implementation of the actions that can reduce workplace accident and occupational ill-health incidence rates.
Find out more on WISH structure, strategy and actions.
Guidance produced by WISH
One of WISH’s main outputs is sector-specific guidance and advice on a wide variety of health, safety, wellbeing and related topics. All WISH guidance documents are available as free downloads from its website.
WISH produces the following types of guidance.
Formal guidance (‘WISH WASTE’ series)
These documents are endorsed by HSE and provide information on risks within the industry and the actions needed to address them. They can be used in court as evidence of best industry practice and, if dutyholders follow this guidance, they will normally be doing enough to comply with the law.
Information sheets (‘WISH INFO’ series)
These information sheets provide information on how to comply with the regulations and are considered good practice. Dutyholders are free to take other action, but may be asked to prove any alternative actions taken were just as effective.
Reference documents (‘WISH REF’ series)
These documents, such as case studies, checklists, example forms and position statements, provide dutyholders with examples of what they might produce or use to ensure good health and safety management.
WISH’s commitment to competence
In WISH’s commitment to competence the Forum explains that it is designed to support the industry in raising staff competency levels with the aim of to reducing accidents and occupational ill health.