Health and safety achievements recognised at RoSPA Scotland ceremony

The occupational health and safety achievements of more than 150 businesses and organisations were recognised by RoSPA in Glasgow yesterday.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) hosted the annual RoSPA Scotland Occupational Health and Safety Awards, which included daytime ceremonies and an evening gala banquet, at the Hilton Glasgow.

In addition to receiving their honours, guests generously donated nearly £9,000 to the safety charity, for the production of Scotland’s Big Book of Accident Prevention – a user-friendly guide that will set out the problem of accidents in Scotland and offer advice and information on how to prevent them. The total came from a charity prize draw, which raised nearly £4,000, plus a £5,000 donation from Bahrain National Gas Company.

FMC Technologies Ltd – Dunfermline received the RoSPA Scotland Trophy, which is RoSPA’s top award for organisations based or operating in Scotland. The firm also won the Manufacturing Sector Award.

Other winners that travelled to the Glasgow ceremony to receive their awards were: NORLAND, winner of the Facilities Management Sector; Serco Health Enabling Services – Wishaw General Hospital, winner of the Healthcare Services Sector; Bahrain National Gas Company, winner of the Oil and Gas Industry Sector; Scottish Water, winner of the Water Industry Sector; Chivas Brothers – Pernod Ricard, winner of the Astor Trophy for occupational health; Lend Lease, winner of the Best New Entry Award; and Brookfield Multiplex Construction Europe Ltd – New South Glasgow Hospital, which won the Workforce Involvement Trophy, sponsored by Springfields Fuels Ltd, and was also highly commended in the Construction Commercial Industry Sector. Shepley Engineers Ltd was commended in the Construction Engineering Industry Sector.

Other organisations received non-competitive achievement awards at bronze, silver and gold levels, with gold medals, president’s awards and orders of distinction presented to those who had achieved the gold standard over many consecutive years.

Karen McDonnell, head of RoSPA Scotland, said: “We were delighted to mark the achievements of so many businesses and organisations at the annual RoSPA Scotland Occupational Health and Safety Awards in Glasgow. All our winners have demonstrated a commitment to continuous improvement in safety and health management, which raises the bar for other organisations to follow. We send our congratulations to all our winners, and also thank them for their generosity in donating to Scotland’s Big Book of Accident Prevention.”

Sponsored by NEBOSH (the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health), the RoSPA Awards scheme is the largest and longest-running occupational health and safety awards programme in the UK. It recognises organisations’ commitment to continuous improvement in the prevention of accidents and ill health at work, looking at entrants’ overarching health and safety management systems, including practices such as leadership and workforce involvement. This year, there were nearly 2,000 registered entries to the awards scheme. In addition to the Glasgow ceremony, presentations were made in Birmingham in May and London in June.