£3,000 prize for smaller construction firms in Working Well Together awards

HSC Press Release C045:02 - 26 September 2002

Smaller construction firms will compete for £3,000 in the 2002 Working Well Together (WWT) 4Cs construction safety awards, thanks to a Midlands safety organisation.

The award - for commitment to health and safety in firms - is being sponsored by the Birmingham Health, Safety and Environment Association (BHSEA), who are members of the national WWT campaign - Britain's largest construction safety initiative.

The WWT Awards recognise best practice in health and safety across the construction industry, and are made in the areas of co-operation, communication, competence and commitment (the 4Cs). In previous years, larger companies have been well represented among WWT winners, but with this year's special £3,000 award for commitment in firms employing fewer than 15 people, the WWT campaign hopes to boost the number of small firms that enter.

Andy Chappell is secretary of BHSEA, which is based in Quinton, Birmingham. He said:

"As WWT members, we are sponsoring the Small Firms Special Award because smaller businesses are absolutely crucial to the construction industry, and we know from our work that they have a great commitment to health and safety.

"Our association aims to help all businesses - large and small - to share best practice. As this aim is also key to Working Well Together, we are very pleased to be supporting an award that recognises commitment in smaller firms."

Winners will receive their awards at a prestigious gala dinner on 28 November at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham, where football legend Sir Geoff Hurst will be the guest speaker.

The overall WWT Awards are open to organisations of any size that work in construction or related areas.

Notes to editors

1. The BHSEA was founded in 1930 and has some 360 members. It is based at 721 Hagley Road West, Quinton, Birmingham B32 1DJ.

2. The WWT 4Cs awards is a national contest, first held in 2000. Organisations of any size can enter the awards, with entrants automatically becoming members of the WWT campaign if they are not already signed up. The 2002 Awards are sponsored by the Construction Industry Training Board and are open to all areas of the construction industry and related fields, such as architecture and equipment supply. Organisations can enter for any or all of the categories to show how they have demonstrated commitment, competence, co-operation and communication, (the 4Cs). The judging panel consists of representatives of the industry, sponsors, unions and HSE.

3. The WWT Campaign is the country's largest construction health and safety campaign, with over 4,000 participating organisations. It was launched by the Health and Safety Commission's Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CONIAC) in 1999. WWT aims to improve performance in four key areas for health and safety - commitment, competence, communication and co-operation.

4. Provisional figures for 2001/02 show that there were 79 fatal injuries to construction workers, accounting for 32 per cent of all worker fatalities. The provisional figures show 47 per cent of fatal injuries to workers in construction between 1 April 2001 and 31 March 2002 were caused by falls from height; 15 per cent - struck by a moving/falling object; 14 per cent - struck by a moving vehicle; 24 per cent - other. The WWT campaign was formed with the aim of reducing the horrific toll of deaths and injuries in the construction industry. The WWT campaign helpline is 0845 27 27 500.

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