RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

February 2, 2006
AWARDS FOR SPREADING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY WORD

Occupational health and safety groups from around the UK have been rewarded for their commitment to making the workplace safer during 2005.

Around 80 groups represented by the newly-formed Safety Groups UK provide a local forum for communicating health and safety information nationwide and offer help to employers, particularly small businesses.

The Alan Butler Memorial Awards for Excellence, sponsored by BT, are given to those groups that are clearly outstanding in their field. Safety Groups UK was previously known as the National Health and Safety Groups Council and is now seeking to play a more influential role in the country’s health and safety system

Lord Brougham and Vaux, RoSPA vice-president and president of Safety Groups UK, and Lord Hunt of Kings Heath presented award winners with their certificates at the House of Lords on January 26.

The groups fall into two categories, large and small. Large groups are those with 65 or more members, small ones consist of less than 65 members.

Award winners were: Avon Occupational Health and Safety Group - best programme for large groups; London Health and Safety Group - best programme small groups; Teesside Safety Group - best seminar; and Northern Ireland Safety Group - best communication. They all received a prize of £300 for their good work.

Roly Buss, awards co-ordinator for Safety Groups UK, said: “The awards reflect the hard work the groups put into promoting good health and safety practice in their areas.

“The groups have a valuable role to play in helping small businesses become more involved in safety, while encouraging members to network and put forward new ideas.”

Local contacts are: Avon – Bob Urwin 0117 978 5185; London - Marion Murphy secretary@londonhealthandsafetygroup.org; Teesside – Pete Walker 01325 366328; and Northern Ireland – Zoe Moran 028 9336 8928.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents supports Safety Groups UK, provides its secretariat and hosts its website www.safetygroupsuk.org.uk .