Share your innovative ways of handling dangerous substances and put British companies on top to win European award!

HSE press release - E062:03 - 24 April 2003

Nominations for Good Practice Awards to recognise outstanding and innovative ways of handling dangerous substances by British companies, are being sought by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.

Winners of the award will be announced as part of the European Week for Safety and Health, 13 - 19 October 2003, which this year focuses on dangerous substances and their affects on the health of workers. Around 7,000 people suffer asthma caused or made worse by work and 66,000 people suffer from new or existing skin disease caused by work.

HSE's Deputy Director General Kate Timms encouraged those with a positive story to tell to put in a nomination. "A combination of good leadership and the close involvement of staff in effectively handling the potential hazards of chemicals and other substances deserves recognition in the form of a prestigious European award.

"Very diverse businesses from hairdressers and beauty salons through to garages, cleaners and manufacturers all use dangerous substances. We are very keen to hear from companies how these issues are being tackled, and the innovative ways in which they are putting the messages across."

The UK has enjoyed success in Good Practice Awards in the past, including West Yorkshire chemical company Hickson and Welch for their efforts to reduce workplace accidents in 2001.

Hickson and Welch's health and safety manager, Ken Patterson, said: "Receiving a European Good Practice Award for partnership working with our local Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) was wonderful recognition of everyone's hard work.

"Our entry was prompted by the trade union and recognised the way working with them has enabled us to make real progress in reducing accidents on our site. We particularly valued this recognition because our suppliers and customers come from across Europe, so an EU award is especially significant.

"Each year we have used European Safety and Health Week to provide a focus for our Health and Safety campaign in the autumn - from Manual Handling in the mid 1990s to Stress in 2002. It was very pleasing to receive a regional HSE award for our programme of activities in 2002 during Stress Week. The European Week is a valuable tool in our programme of continuous improvement. Winning the award made us realise how far we have come and enabled us to celebrate our success. Meeting the other prize winners and hearing what they do gave us new ideas and helped us realise that there are always ways to improve."

For details on how to enter this years Good Practice Awards scheme see http://www.hse.gov.uk/campaigns/euroweek

Notes to editors

1.. The Good Practice Awards is in its fourth successive year; award winners good practice examples are available on the websites:

http://osha.europa.eu/publications/reports/101/en/prevmsds.pdf

http://osha.europa.eu/publications/reports/103

http://osha.europa.eu/publications/reports/104

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. Further information on the week can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/campaigns/index.htm and http://osha.europa.eu/ew2003

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