HSE press release E044:03 - 19 March 2003

HSE ANNOUNCES EURO WEEK FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS

Shops, councils, factories, and police forces are among 26 organisations to be presented with prestigious national awards for their efforts to combat workplace stress as part of the European Week for Safety and Health campaign.

Thousands of businesses took part in the annual Week, which happens every October. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which promotes the Week in the UK, is looking to develop management standards for handling stress in the workplace. It will be evaluating some of the winning entries in relation to their stress management policies which could be used in the future as examples of excellence in this field.

The national winners, who will receive their awards at Cardiff City Hall on Thursday evening (20 March), represent the best of the 166 regional winners who were presented with awards in February. Special categories include Best Small Business which was won by Aberdeen Fluid System Technologies Ltd and Best of Last Year's winners won by TXU Energy of Ipswich.

Paralympic athlete Tanni Grey-Thompson, OBE, presented the awards in Cardiff with Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission.

Said Tanni: "I am delighted to be associated with the Week and I would like to offer my congratulations to all the winners. It's so encouraging to hear about the fantastic efforts made by all the participants - whether they won awards or not. As I have found from personal experience, awards and medals are great but it's the taking part and giving it your best shot that really counts.

"The workplace - whether it's an athletic track or a shop floor - can be a hugely stressful place and anything which can reduce needless stress has to be a good thing!"

Among those participating in the campaign was Potley Hill Primary School in Hampshire who invited their pupils to define stress in a poetic style. HSE has published some of the results on its website. An example is attached.

Notes to editors

1. A complete list of winners is attached. Photographs of presentations are available from HSE Publicity on 0151 951 3450.

2. The first European Week was held in 1996 and has since grown into one of the UK's biggest workplace health and safety initiatives.

3. This year's event starts on 13 October and its theme will be 'Dangerous Substances'. An action pack will be available from HSE after 20 May 2003.

PUBLIC ENQUIRIES:

Call HSE's InfoLine, tel: 0845 345 0055, visit http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact, or write to: HSE Information Services, Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG.

PRESS ENQUIRIES relating to this press release: Journalists only:

0151 951 3450

National winners - European Week for Safety and Health 2002

Aberdeen Fluid System Technologies Ltd, Aberdeen (Best Small Firms entry)
Allied Bakeries, Cardiff
Asda Stores, Chorley
BAE Systems Avionics Ltd, Rochester
Canary Wharf Group PLC, Canary Wharf, London
Chesterfield Borough Council, Chesterfield
City of Bath College, Avon Street, Bath BA1 1UP
County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust, Durham
Derry City Council, Londonderry
East Staffordshire Borough Council, Burton-on-Trent
Glaxosmithkline, Montrose
Grosvenor, London
John Henderson Group, Newtownabbey, Co Antrim
The Humber Pre-school Learning Alliance, Kington upon Hull
IKEA Bristol
Independent Community Living, Caerphilly
W Jordans (Cereals) Ltd, Biggleswade
Kent Police, Maidstone
The Kerrygold Company Ltd, Leek
Novaglaze Ltd, Elland
OMG UK Ltd, Clayton, Manchester
Procter and Gamble Technical Centres Ltd, Newcastle
Springboard Housing Association, East London
Strathclyde Police, Glasgow
TXU Energy, Ipswich (Best entry of last year's winners)
Work-Link Project, Hinckley

The pupils of Potley Hill Primary School, Hampshire, wrote about stress. Here's an example from Helen, Year 5.

Stress
Looks like a multi coloured angry mist
Sounds like screaming and smashing bottles
Tastes like bitter, salty sea water
Smells like stagnant pond water
Feels like wet snakes slipping down your body
Stress is when I can't cope!