Sims Metal Management first in the UK to achieve health and safety certification
Sims Metal Management’s metals shredder site at Yateley in Hampshire is the first facility of its kind in the UK to achieve certification to the health and safety management system standard, BS OHSAS 18001:2007. The scope of the certification covers the recovery and processing of ferrous and non ferrous materials. The certification was granted after the company successfully demonstrated to British Standards Institute inspectors that all facets of health and safety culture at the Yateley site are of the very highest calibre.
Depolluted scrap cars on the metals shredder infeed belt
Sims Metal Management’s Stephen Powell, who oversees all of the company’s quality management systems, said: “As the world’s leading recycler of metals and electronics, the health, safety and well being of our employees is our top priority, so we are delighted to have achieved certification to this prestigious health and safety management system standard. The award reflects the considerable efforts made by our employees over the last twelve months to further improve our already very high safety standards at Yateley.
“The fact that we are first in the UK to achieve this standard, demonstrates not only our commitment to health and safety but also that we are leading the field in health and safety quality standards within the UK metals recycling industry.
“This latest certification complements the achievements of our sister company, Sims Recycling Solutions, who in 2007 became the first electronics recycler in the UK to achieve transition to the new British standard for operational health and safety.”
Andrew Morris, Business Development Director at BSI said: “In a competitive marketplace, customers are looking for more than just keen pricing from their suppliers. A company needs to demonstrate that its business is managed efficiently and responsibly and that it can provide a reliable service without excessive downtime caused by work-related accidents and incidents. Sims Metal Management should be rightly proud of this achievement.”
Ian Hetherington, Director General of the British Metals Recycling Association commented: “We are extremely pleased that Sims Metal Management has achieved this certification – and is the first plant of its kind to do so in the UK. The dedication Sims Metal Management has shown to meeting the exacting standards within BS OHSAS 18001:2007 is impressive and we are proud that one of the BMRA’s members is taking such a proactive stance on health and safety.”
The Yateley site is the first of Sims Metal Management’s four metals shredder facilities in the UK to achieve the certification and the company expect to have achieved certification at the remaining three sites by the end of March 2010.