The Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) Forum has launched its search for a new Chair. The voluntary role will see the successful candidate lead the influential industry body, working with Government, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and other stakeholders to identify, prioritise and address health, safety and welfare issues across the waste and recycling sector.
The Chair will act as WISH’s principal representative, providing independent leadership to the Steering Group, guiding strategic direction and ensuring good governance. The position also carries responsibility for promoting best practice, coordinating industry-wide campaigns, and fostering collaboration across public, private, charitable and regulatory organisations.
The Forum recently issued new guidance sheets covering machinery used at recycling plants, including cable strippers and crocodile shears.
Chris Jones, who has chaired WISH since its formation in 2001, will be stepping down. Under his leadership, the forum’s collaborative model has been replicated in Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, and WISH is now helping to establish similar organisations in France and the Low Countries. Alongside his WISH role, Jones serves as Director of Risk Management and Compliance at Cory Environmental, where he provides oversight on CSR activities and develops corporate risk strategies.
WISH has invited expressions of interest for the new Chair by 30 September 2025. Prospective candidates will also have the opportunity to discuss the role at the RWM conference in Birmingham on 17–18 September.
