The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has started follow-up visits to the UK paper industry's "poor performers" to assess how to rectify high accident rates (PrintWeek, 24 August).

A meeting is also set for this week between the GPMU and its union representatives at the mills highlighted in the HSE report.

"We will use the meeting to provide our representatives with the latest information on safety, and discuss what they can do to improve safety at their plants," said GPMU health & safety adviser Bud Hudspith.

Mike Wilcock, head of the HSE's paper and printing national sector group, will outline proposals for improving safety.

"What I am concerned about is that some firms are taking a long time to implement safety procedures. These are the ones we have to target," Hudspith said.

The Paper Federation's director of employment services, Tim Watt, said it was too early to say what measures needed to be adopted, but added: "The Federation will do what it can to help the mills concerned."