Circle of Safety™: Program Information

The Circle of Safety Excellence^TM is an initiative offered by ISRI to help improve worker safety in the recycling industry. 

• The key to the initiative is the establishment of a platform – called the Circle – within which like-minded companies voluntarily come forward to share safety data and best practices for the betterment of their own safety operations, and at the same time be recognized by ISRI for their commitment to safety

• ISRI formed the Circle to help demonstrate the recycling industry’s commitment to the safety of all of our employees and the communities we serve.  

• The hope is that the Circle will serve as a “carrot” that companies that do not yet meet the minimum requirements will strive to join, thereby improving their operations

Entry into the Circle is through an annual application process by which companies agree in writing to:

• Submit lost time, DART, and TC injury rate (and if applicable CSA) data by published due date

All ISRI members who are committed to operating safely, are invited to apply to be part of the Circle.

• The goal of the Circle is to help companies improve, not to keep people out.
• “Committed to operating safely” means --
1. Having a safety management program - with certain key elements as defined by OSHA - in place at all their facilities
2. Willingness to share injury data on an annual basis & participate in a group benchmarking program
3. Willingness to attend one COSE™ meeting per year
4. Along with ISRI, having a willingness to outreach to others in the industry regarding the promotion of safe practices
• The long term goal is for every ISRI member to be a member of the Circle, thus as part of this program, ISRI is committing to providing the resources to assist any interested company in attaining membership through ISRI’s Safety Outreach program. 

There are a number of benefits companies receive that join the Circle --

• Ability to benchmark their company’s progress against other industry leaders committed to safe operations
• Availability of a network for the sharing of safety best practices. 
• Use of Circle of Safety Excellence^TM Logo on company letterhead, website, trucks, etc

All of us at ISRI are very excited about the potential for this initiative over the long term to improve worker safety in the recycling industry.