RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

May 28, 2003
SAFETY PROFESSIONALS RECEIVE PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has honoured three experts from the construction industry for their outstanding contribution to health and safety in the workplace.

The three – from Nottingham, the West Midlands and Surrey - were presented with RoSPA Distinguished Service Awards at a ceremony at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole Hotel, on May 21.

The presentations were part of the RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards, sponsored by RMC. The Distinguished Service Awards went to:

Keith Turney, of Nottingham, is the technical director of Central (High Rise). He started work in the construction industry in 1969 as a trainee steeplejack and has worked to improve the safety of his own employees as well as safety standards in the steeplejack industry. He took responsibility for the development and writing of the new British Standard 2830 – Industrial Climbing Steeplejack Methods.

Roy Gill, of Solihull, West Midlands, is the divisional health and safety manager at Laing O’Rourke Midland. He has helped to raise the profile of the RoSPA affiliated Health and Safety Groups movement in the UK and became involved in his local group in Bristol the late 1970s. He has been a member of the Birmingham Health, Safety and Environment Association for over 20 years and is also the Association's representative on the National Health and Safety Groups’ Council. He was the council’s vice-chairman from 1996-1999 and chairman from 1999-2002.

George Brumwell, of Chessington, Surrey, is one of nine commissioners at the Health and Safety Commission. He has been General Secretary of the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians since 1991, and represents around 125,000 members. He has championed the causes of good health and safety management, effective workforce involvement and mandatory health and safety training in occupational health. He is a member of the Construction Industry Training Board and a board member of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme for the Construction Industry.

David Walker, RoSPA Awards Manager, said: “These three people have made a major contribution to cutting workplace deaths and injuries in the UK and Europe.”