Construction Industry rises to London 2012 Safety Challenge

Date:

30 September 2011

Release No:

NE/100/11

North East construction firms are being offered the chance to get first hand insight into how the high health and safety standards were achieved during the "Big Build" phase of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

At the half day event on 12 October, Lawrence Waterman, Head of Health and Safety for the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), will be describing how an outstanding health and safety performance has been achieved. He will offer an insight into the future for the industry and demonstrate what changes can be made to create improvements, no matter what size the organisation.

From the outset the ODA set challenging targets for the construction industry to raise their health and safety standards and the lesson learned now form an important part of the lasting benefits of London 2012 - with enormous potential to influence health and safety in the UK.

Starting at 1pm, CDM (Construction Design and Management) and the Olympic Park - Current Best Practice - will be held at the Marriott Hotel, Gosforth, Newcastle on Wednesday 12 October 2011.

Rob Hirst, HSE Principal Inspector for the Construction Division in the North East, explained:

"From its inception the ODA declared that its aim was to be a leader in health and safety, integrating these objectives into planning, design and construction operations, together with enhancing workforce wellbeing. And the safety record of the massive Olympic Park construction project has been exemplary.

"With around 35,000 workers on site since construction began and over 66 million hours worker, there have been 109 reportable injuries and no work-related fatalities. The workforce recently completed three million hours without a single reportable injury"

The event is part of the Working Well Together campaign, a partnership between the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the construction industry. The event costs £25, including refreshments, and will run from 1.00-4.30pm at the Marriott Hotel, Gosforth, Newcastle on Wednesday 12 October 2011. For more information or a booking form please contact Vikki Munro at Working Well Together NE on 0191 228 0900 or email cetgne@aol.com.

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice; promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice; and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk
2. Visit here: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/press.htm to see other HSE press notices.
3. The Working Well Together partnership in the North East is made up of more than 20 regional organisations, some of which can be found on the "Partners" page of the WWT North East regional group webpages. For more information about Working Well Together North East log onto the website at www.wwt.uk.com

Press enquiries

Regional reporters should call the appropriate Regional News Network press office.

Issued on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive by COI News & PR (North East)