New Safety in Manufacturing Plastics (SIMPL) initiative launched today

A new industry-led initiative to improve health and safety in the plastics industry was launched today at the British Plastics Federation (BPF).

The SIMPL (Safety In Manufacturing Plastics) initiative, supported by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the BPF, will run over three years from 2011 to 2014. It brings together all parts of the industry including trade organizations and unions in a bid to stimulate progress on accident and ill-health reduction by helping to embed a health and safety culture within businesses.

Peter Davis, Director General of the British Plastics Federation (BPF) said:

“The BPF has a long tradition of leadership on health and safety having produced the basic codes of practice for machinery safeguarding with the HSE. Safety is a key part of what it means to be a sustainable company and our strong contribution to SIMPL fits well with what the BPF is all about - improving business in the UK plastics industry.”

Individual companies are invited to sign a pledge to demonstrate their commitment to improving the health and safety record of the industry as a whole. In return, SIMPL will help employers achieve what they identify as health and safety priorities for their individual business.

The participating employers’ organisations will create action plans to help their members achieve long-term improvements. An accident reporting format will also be established for each area of industry, against which year on year reduction targets will be set.

Lynn Edwards, Chairman of BPF’s Health & Safety Committee, said:

“Every business is legally obliged to ensure the health and safety of its employees. The SIMPL Initiative will give us as industry an opportunity to work both with the HSE and trade unions to turn this into practical steps and guidance to comply with these legal duties. It is easy to forget how intrinsic health and safety is to supporting business operations and employee welfare.”

Kevin Myers, Deputy Chief Executive for HSE, added:

“The injury rate in the plastics industry, like the rest of the manufacturing sector, is well above the all industries average. It’s essential that senior management recognises the importance of developing a positive health and safety culture, but we also need to draw on the knowledge, skills and enthusiasm of those closest to the risks, the employees.

“Industrial injuries is why the SIMPL initiative aims to work with everyone across the industry to really drive change and reduce the number of people being killed, injured or made ill by their work.”

Manual handling and slips and trips are responsible for the majority of injuries and illnesses including occupational asthma and dermatitis. In keeping with the manufacturing sector as a whole the accident rate in the plastics industry is relatively high. In 2008/09, one person was killed and 1,158 were injured.

Andrea Przystupa, Health & Safety Advisor, Unite the Union, said:

“In order to take employees with them, organisations need to move away from a blame culture and encourage more positive safety cultures where consultation and workforce involvement are the norm. Effort should be made to address the real issues and put in place good health and safety management systems creating a good working environment for their people.

“We hope that by working together businesses and employees within the Plastic’s Sector can achieve positive improvements in health and safety which will benefit both the workforce and the business.”

The participating organisations are:

• British Plastics Federation
• Composites UK
• GGF
• GMB
• Plastics Machinery Manufacturers & Distributors Association
• Packaging and Films Association
• Unite
• PTIC, Wolverhampton College

For more information on the SIMPL initiative, visit www.hse.gov.uk/plastics 


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For all media enquiries, BPF logos and images, please contact Rita Ogole, Senior Public Affairs Executive on 0207 457 5043 or email [email protected]


Notes for editors:

British Plastics Federation (BPF) is the UK trade association for the plastics industry – representing the whole supply chain including polymer producers, distributors, additives suppliers, machinery manufacturers, processors and recyclers.