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UK News - Breaking news in the field of health and safety
Safety and health management system wins Euro award
The 5 winners of the Good Practice Award for improving health and safety in Europe’s construction industry, designated by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, have been presented at the European Week for Safety and Health at Work closing ceremony in Bilbao.The winner was deemed to be a highly effective safety and health management system operated in Denmark which reduced the likelihood of accidents during a construction project for Danmarks Radio (DR). It involved a health and safety partnership between employers, workers, designers and other stakeholders. With an input of 800,000 working hours on the project, the frequency of accidents was below the average of Denmark’s construction industry - just 19 minor accidents over 2 years. The other 4 initiatives recognised with an award were as follows:
A ready-assembled scaffolding system that is lifted into position and dismantled by crane, reducing the risks of falls when it is put up and taken down: The system, which is largely assembled at ground level, also includes integrated guard rails and other safety devices. (Doka Schalungstechnik GmbH, Austria) A competition to encourage companies to use a simple health and safety monitoring system on construction sites: previously only 1-in-4 of the companies that participated in this scheme had a safety level in excess of 75%. Since the competition was launched, the proportion has risen to 3-in-4. (Rakennusteollisuus RT Uudenmaan piiri, Finland) The development of a novel extraction system to reduce workers’ exposure to hazardous crystalline silica dust when removing road surfaces: the device, which is fitted to a ‘road milling’ machine, has reduced exposure rates to levels significantly below the Maximum Accepted Concentration for respirable crystalline silica. The system was co-developed by the manufacturer, customers and staff. (Nederlandse Frees Maatschappij BV (Freesmij), Netherlands) The publication of ‘The Silent Book’, a range of health and safety promotional materials that only use pictures to convey relevant information to members of the construction industry: The book has no words and includes a specially created cartoon character. The absence of words means that the Silent Book can be used by other countries without incurring any translation costs. (NCC Construction Sverige AB, Sweden Commendation awards included ones earned by Felton Construction Ltd & Interbrew UK Ltd.
For further information visit
http://osha.eu.int/ew2004/closingevent/index_en.htm.
“This year’s European Week campaign has focused on the immense need to improve safety and health in the construction industry. Our good practice award competition demonstrates that ‘building in safety’ is possible and that it pays off, both in human and in financial terms. I would like to congratulate the award winners and thank them, as well as all other participants of this competition, for their innovative contributions to reduce accidents and ill-health in this important sector. One of the strengths of all these schemes is that they can be relatively easily transferred to other countries, enabling the European construction industry to make greater headway in improving its health and safety record,” - Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.
