RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

May 6, 2008
MORE THAN 1,500 ORGANISATIONS WIN SAFETY HONOURS

A record 1,500 businesses and organisations will be honoured at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Occupational Health and Safety Awards next week.

Most of the winners are UK-based and they have been recognised for high levels of performance and well-developed occupational health and safety management systems and culture. They have had to demonstrate outstanding control of risk and very low levels of error, harm and loss.

Tom Mullarkey, RoSPA Chief Executive, said: “If every business in the UK could put in place the kind of safe and healthy working that this year’s award winners have created, very many tragedies would be avoided and lives saved - not to mention the massive cost reductions which could be achieved to release resources to deal with other pressing problems.”

Businesses and organisations of all sizes and types will be celebrating their success from Tuesday to Thursday (May 13-15) at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole Hotel where there will be three prestigious gala dinners.

The presentations will be made by Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen, President of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, Lord Jordan of Bournville, Deputy President, Lord Brougham and Vaux, Vice-President, and Tom Mullarkey, RoSPA Chief Executive.

The awards are sponsored by NEBOSH – The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health.

The majority of the awards are non-competitive and mark achievement which is graded at merit, bronze, silver and gold levels. Those demonstrating continued improvement over a number of years can win gold medals, President’s Awards and Orders of Distinction.

The competitive awards go to the best entries in 20 individual industry sectors such as construction, healthcare, transport and logistics, engineering, manufacturing and education. There are special awards for workforce involvement, training, occupational health, environmental management and the management of occupational road risk. There is a trophy for the best organisation operating or based mainly in Scotland, and RoSPA’s top accolade is the Sir George Earle Trophy.

The awards run alongside three days of RoSPA conferences and Safety & Health Expo 2008 at the NEC.

*Pictures and a full list of winners will be available after the event. Some winners receive their awards at the RoSPA Scotland event held in Glasgow on September 25.