SITA UK is committed to ensuring the health and safety of employees, members of the public and any other person who may be affected by our operations and work activities. To achieve this, we have a clear policy and a number of supporting systems to ensure full implementation throughout our operational activities.
Responsibilities for health and safety are clearly defined. These are an integral part of line management within SITA UK. To be able to discharge these responsibilities, all managers and sites have access to SITA UK’s on-line Health and Safety Manual. This manual contains all of the procedures, systems of work and work instructions that each manager is required to implement within his part of the business. These are reviewed on an ongoing basis to ensure that all legal requirements relating to health and safety are complied with.
The manual also includes auditing and review of systems and procedures to ensure that these are adhered to and that they are updated whenever necessary.
Risk assessments are fundamental to the safety culture in SITA UK. These are used to identify hazards, quantify the risks and determine the necessary controls. These are routinely reviewed to ensure that risks are controlled.
There is also an emphasis on health and safety training for all employees, with SITA UK's interactive CD-ROM induction training package that every employee must complete. It covers the general risks and precautions that each employee must take and it incorporates a number of tests that the employee must pass to ensure that they have understood this training. It is followed by other instructions and training that are specific to the job.
There are a number of training courses available for specific work activities, such as manual handling. Health and safety training for managers and supervisors is specifically catered for. All managers and supervisors are required to achieve an accredited health and safety qualification.
SITA UK uses a wide range of vehicles, mobile plant and equipment such as refuse compaction vehicles, landfill compactors and paper balers. It is imperative that these are safe to use and our systems include specifications for new equipment, to ensure all necessary safeguards are included, and procedures for the maintenance of the equipment and safeguards.
The above are designed to prevent accidents at work. However, accidents do occur and SITA UK has signed up to an ESA*/HSE** Charter with targets to reduce the number of accidents. Any accident is investigated to identify the cause and implement any remedial action to prevent recurrence. Accident details are recorded on an electronic database and these records are routinely analysed to look for trends and any issues that can be addressed to prevent accidents at work. We seek to constantly improve our health & safety performance.
SITA UK has a Health and Safety department of safety professionals. They keep SITA UK advised of any changes in law and provide advice and assistance to managers and staff, to ensure legal requirements are met and SITA UK’s policy and procedures are up-to-date and are implemented.
* ESA is the Environmental Services Association, the trade association for the waste industry
* * HSE is the Health & Safety Executive. Britain's Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are responsible for the regulation of almost all the risks to health and safety arising from work activity in Britain.
