About Safety in Manufacturing Polymers 'SIMPL'

Launched, October 14th 2010, SIMPL (Safety In Manufacturing Polymers) is an initiative developed to reduce the incidence of accidents and ill-health in the UK Plastics Industry. SIMPL has been developed by the British Plastics Federation in partnership with fellow industry trade associations, employers organisations, trade unions, HSE and training organisations including...

• Health & Safety Executive (HSE)
• Packaging and Films Associations (PAFA)
• Composites UK
• Polymer Training and Innovation Centre 
• UNITE 
• GMB

The new cycle of the SIMPL initiative will run over three years from 2026 to 2030, bringing together all parts of the industry in a bid to stimulate progress on on accident and ill-health reduction across the board.

Competence

Competence in health and safety requires a range of skills, knowledge, experience, and other qualities to perform work-related tasks safely and effectively, minimizing risks and preventing harm.

Accident and Incident Investigation

Health and safety investigations are important tools in developing and refining your risk management system. An effective investigation requires a methodical, structured approach to information gathering, collation, and analysis. The findings of the investigation will form the basis of an action plan to prevent the accident or incident from happening again, and for improving your overall management of risk.

Accident and incident investigation relies on competence and means companies/sites can better determine why accidents/incidents have occurred and will provide a deeper understanding of the risks associated with workplace activities.

Proactive and reactive mental health and wellbeing measures

The estimated working days lost due to work-related ill health and non-fatal workplace injuries in 2023/24 was 33.7 million (Labour Force Survey).

At some point, one in four people in the UK will have a mental health problem. Most mental health problems are mild, and can be short-term and usually successfully treated, with prescribed medication.

Work can aggravate pre-existing conditions and induce symptoms or make their effects worse. Whether work is the cause of a health issue or aggravating it, employers have a legal duty to help their employees.

The BPF and SIMPL

 " 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."

Peter Davis, SIMPL Launch 14th October 2010

CLICK HERE to download the SIMPL Strategy.

The BPF actively engages with it Membership through its Industrial Health & Safety Committee. Any current BPF Members interested in H&S are invited to get involved.

Further information, advice and guidance on Industrial Health & Safety is also available, CLICK HERE for more information

Get involved and Show your commitment

The BPF is committed to helping to improve health and safety across all sectors of the UK Plastics Industry. All Members of the British Plastics Federation are encouraged to sign the ‘SIMPL Pledge’.  Each signing up company will receive a certificate for display in their business                    The SIMPL initiative objective aim is to help companies comply with existing laws in practical ways that are right for their business whilst improving health and safety standards for the workforce

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