WISH comes true for Jacqueline O’Donovan

O’Donovan managing director joining WISH steering group to address safety in the waste industry

JACQUELINE O’Donovan, managing director of O’Donovan Waste Disposal Ltd, is set to join forces with the Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) Forum, having been asked to get involved to collaborate with the waste industry to raise awareness of the number of incidents within the sector, and, in particular, within the SME segment.

She will work with the WISH SME Group, whose aim is to communicate and consult with key stakeholders in order to identify, devise and promote activities that can improve industry health and safety performance, in particular within small and medium-size waste companies.

As managing director of an independent waste operator, Ms O’Donovan says she is familiar with the challenges faced and is keen to get involved in order to engage with other SME’s and those within the sector to help improve standards, raise awareness of the need for safer working practices and encourage use of the tools available to help introduce safe systems of working.

‘I am delighted to have been asked to join the WISH working group. Although our sector is relatively small in terms of employment, the annual average fatal injury rate is way too high and we urgently need to tackle it,’ she said.

‘WISH is working hard to address the causes and has created a Pocket Guide as well as introducing the i-Auditor templates to help companies carry out internal assessments. I am looking forward to developing further practical solutions that will help other SMEs improve their own internal standards, which will in turn benefit the industry as a whole.’