The Wood Recyclers’ Association (WRA) has today reassured its members that it is working closely with its contacts in Government, with industry regulators and other trade associations to do all it can to help keep the waste wood industry to continue operating vital services during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Andy Hill, Chair of the WRA, said in an email to it members that the Association is carrying out a number of activities including joining forces with other key trade associations to push hard for waste to be added to the’ key worker’ list in Scotland as they are in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The email also included the latest update from the Environment Agency on the requirement for operators to have a technically competent (TCM) person on site, as well as various links to websites containing information about help that businesses can receive from the Government as a result of the Corona virus.
Andy said: “This is an unprecedented situation for us all and we are working hard behind the scenes to respond to the ever changing situation for the best of our members.
“We have been holding daily video conference calls to talk through the issues as they are arising and will be updating our members as and when we have more news or decide to take more action on their behalf. I would encourage any of our members who do have issues or questions they would like us to put to our regulators to contact us as soon as possible.”
The WRA has now cancelled its members’ summer meeting which was due to take place in June, but will attempt to hold either a workshop or webinar to update members later in the summer.
It has also postponed a workshop it was due to hold with members to look at the issue of dust in the workplace until later in the year.
Work will carry on with the waste wood clarification project where possible over the next few months, but it is very likely to be delayed as a result of the current situation. The Environment Agency has agreed in principle to an extension of the current RPS beyond July but the exact details won’t be known for a few weeks and will depend on how the Covid-19 situation progresses.
Any WRA member wishing to seek advice or with questions should contact julia.turner@woodrecyclers.org.