Leading British companies to share safety excellence tips with peers at RoSPA London Congress

Some of the UK’s leading retail, utility and manufacturing companies will be sharing practical advice on improving health and safety at a national congress from The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

RoSPA will bring together organisations at the forefront of protecting their staff from workplace hazards at its Occupational Safety and Health Congress in London’s Southbank on November 27.

Focusing on real-life case studies, the event will include speakers from Home Retail Group, Tesco Dotcom, Morrison Utility Services and Airbus Operations Ltd UK.

Roger Bibbings, RoSPA’s occupational safety adviser, said: “What is so unique about this RoSPA Congress is that it uses real-life examples. Companies with some of the best health and safety records in the country are helping their peers improve by sharing their own experiences and giving practical advice.

“New innovative ideas that improve health and safety standards in one company, can be adopted across all types of industries and make a real difference to saving lives, reducing injuries and helping companies boost their reputation and staff morale.”

Abby Miller, health and safety manager for Home Retail Group, the home and general merchandise retailer with Argos and Homebase among its portfolio, will explain how the company tracks health and safety performance across more than 1,000 stores and locations, and how it decided on which method to use.

Addressing road safety risks at work, Andy Kemp from Tesco Dotcom, the home delivery division of the UK’s biggest retailer, highlights how the actions of a fleet can hugely affect the reputation of a company’s brand. He also reveals the efficiency and cost savings that were made by introducing new technology and improving road safety at Tesco Dotcom, which won RoSPA’s Managing Occupational Road Risk (MORR) Trophy for four years in a row.

Delegates will also hear from Paul Kerridge, SHEQ director at Morrison Utility Services, detailing leadership challenges associated with high performance. The company won the Sir George Earle Trophy – the top accolade at RoSPA’s Occupational Health and Safety Awards – this year.

Other highlights include Airbus Operations Ltd UK discussing its scheme to improve mental health among the workforce by partnering with Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. The company now offers quick access to wellbeing services after realising that mental health issues accounted for a quarter of staff absences.

Many of the organisations presenting at the event are RoSPA award winners. RoSPA, a charity that has been at the heart of accident prevention and dedicated to improving workplace safety for nearly 100 years, rewards companies for their overarching health and safety management systems. There were more than 1,800 winners in this year’s awards programme, sponsored by NEBOSH (the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health). Entry is now open for the 2014 RoSPA Awards.

A full programme for the congress, which takes place at 15 Hatfields, in London, can be found at www.rospa.com/events/congress/. Places are still available are priced at £339 + VAT for RoSPA members and £399 + VAT for non members. Anyone interested in attending should email events@rospa.com or call 0121 248 2089.