New SIMPL three-year strategy released

In line with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Helping Great Britain Work Well strategy, the new SIMPL (Safety in Manufacturing Plastics and Composites) strategy aims to continue with initiatives to reduce accidents within the sector.

This new strategy will run from 2018 to 2021 and aims to bring together all parts of the industry, including trade organisations 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.

SIMPL invites individual companies to sign a pledge to demonstrate its commitment to improving the health and safety record of the industry, with participating organisations including, The British Plastics Federation, Composites UK, The Glass and Glazing Federation and GMB.

The participating trade associations and other supporting organisations have updated their action plans to help its members achieve long-term improvements.

Accident reporting will be maintained through these organisations each year and the results will enable yearly reduction targets to be set.

“It is encouraging that the injury rate in the plastics industry has significantly reduced since the first strategy in 2010, and is now below the all manufacturing industries average,” said John Rowe, HSE Head of Manufacturing and Utilities Unit.

“The new SIMPL initiative aims to continue to work with everyone across the plastics and composites industries to really drive change and reduce the number of people being injured or made ill by their work.”