RoSPA in the 21st Century
RoSPA supported further attempts to legislate against the use of mobile phones while driving.
2000 RoSPA gained Binder Hamlyn Arthur Andersen 1999 Best Practice Awards for Charities in "Exceeding Customer Expectations" and "Strategic Leadership" categories. The work-related road safety task group was set up by the Government to tackle management of occupational road risk. RoSPA joins the group. RoSPA also joined the Accidental Injury Task Force at the invitation of the Government. RoSPA called for one ministry to be made responsible for water safety. A water safety audit was carried at the wildlife pond at No 10 Downing Street. Around 6,000 playground inspections were carried out by the RoSPA playground services team. Norwich Union and RoSPA launched a new website for young workers at www.youngworker.co.uk.
2001 The Department of Trade and Industry enabled RoSPA to expand home safety work with a large modernisation grant. A further £600,000 was made available to local home safety projects through a scheme administered by RoSPA for the DTI. A national water safety conference, the first for many years, was oversubscribed. The safety education department provided most of the lessons for a new Government website promoting road safety education among primary school teachers. The guides on safety on beaches and safety at inland water sites were relented so they could become voluntary national standards. In Europe RoSPA lobbied for a directive of pedestrian-friendly fronts for new cars. Extensive comment was provided on the Revitalising Health and Safety consultation from the Health and Safety Commission. Enlightened companies began to ban their company vehicle drivers from using mobile phones while driving.
2002 RoSPA supported further attempts to legislate against the use of mobile phones while driving. RoSPA's revamped website came online and included a members' site and a staff intranet. RoSPA invited high performing companies to become Partners in Progress and support the development of RoSPA's occupational safety and health work for three years. The Occupational Road Safety Alliance was established.
The child car seats website was launched and was an immediate success.
2003 The ban on the use of hand-held mobile phones while driving was finally achieved. The child car seats website, www.childcarseats.org.uk, was launched and was an immediate success. The RoSPA Driver Risk Assessment system was launched. The first award for Managing Occupational Road Risk was made. Increased Government funding provided a member of staff to promote RoSPA's key issue: The need to improve safety in the built environment. It seeks to persuade housing providers to include 10 basic safety features in the design of new homes which it is believed could have a major effect on accident figures.
The post of RoSPA home safety liaison officer for Wales was made permanent thanks to joint funding from the Welsh Assembly's Housing and Health departments.
The Society worked with the European Child Safety Alliance on a Europe-wide project and a website - www.childsafetyeurope.org/watersafety - has been set up as part of a drowning prevention campaign.
The society worked with the European Child Safety Alliance on a Europe-wide project and a website.
2004 RoSPA was awarded the DTI contract to provide a public information service using the HASS/LASS database. The Government proposed regulations to control tap water temperatures. This was one of the 10 basic safety features which RoSPA said was needed to improve the safety of the built environment.
Deaths on Britain's roads reduced by eight percent to the lowest number since records began in 1926.
The National Home and Leisure Safety Committee called for a ban on the use of baby walkers following a long history of accidents involving the product.
For the first time, police officers attending the scene of a road accident had to record if the journey was for work purposes.
The National Water Safety Forum was founded.
The National Water Safety Forum was founded.
2005 The RoSPA Advanced Drivers Association celebrated its 50th anniversary with events at the House of Lords and around the UK.
Driver Profiler, a RoSPA online risk assessment tool which allows bosses to measure the strengths and weaknesses of their employees' driving without leaving the workplace, won a British Safety Industry Federation Product Innovation Award.
For the first time RoSPA's premier occupational health and safety award, the Sir George Earle Trophy, went overseas to Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company of Bahrain.
The House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee backed RoSPA's call for work-related road safety to be given a higher priority. It also supported the society's case for work-related road accidents to be reportable to the health and safety enforcing authorities.
RoSPA secured funding from the Department of Health to develop an accreditation scheme for both permanent and temporary LASER schemes.
The society collaborated with the European safety organisation ANEC to draft recommendations for safety standards for hotel and other tourist-related swimming facilities.
RoSPA worked with DriveTech (UK) Limited to develop ROADTest - the first advanced driving test designed purely for business drivers.
RoSPA was heavily involved in the launch of Safety Groups UK.
2006 RoSPA was heavily involved in the launch of Safety Groups UK. This was formed out of the National Health and Safety Groups Council, a body representing around 80 community-based groups, which give advice to small and medium-sized businesses in their area.
The RoSPA Advanced Drivers Association was renamed RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders to recognise the increasing motorcyclist membership.
A moving and handling equipment room was set up at RoSPA HQ for training purposes. The 50th anniversary of the occupational safety and health awards scheme saw its highest entry ever at 1,300. RoSPA collated the first nationally-agreed drowning statistics. The LASER accreditation programme was developed; South Korea passed new playground safety laws as a direct result of RoSPA's influence; The Society's Driver Profiler was named Innovative Road Safety Product of the Year. This was its second award for innovation.10,000 people a day logged on to www.childcarseats.org.uk ahead of new child restraint laws. The child safety strategy for Scotland was developed as part of the project funded by the European Child Safety Alliance and RoSPA.
The RoSPA Advanced Drivers Association was renamed RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders to recognise the increasing motorcyclist membership.
2007 The demand was so great from the record number of winners that occupational safety and health awards dinners had to be held at the NEC over three days for the first time and were attended by around 3,000 people. RoSPA and the National Water Safety Forum secured funding to set up a national water-related incident database. The society undertook a major research project for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Sport England into the safety of rowing as a sport.
The society won the 2008 Fleet World Honours Safety Award in recognition of its work in promoting work-related road safety. The inaugural meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Accident Prevention was held. RoSPA's website received around 3.5million visits during the year and documents were downloaded more than 1.5million times. A briefing paper was written for the Children's Workforce highlighting 10 key principles of effective safety education.
The Safe At Home website.
2008 The findings of RoSPA's 12-month study into the feasibility of establishing a UK-wide injury database were presented to the Secretary of State for Health. As a result, the Department of Health commissioned the South West Public Health Observatory to conduct further detailed work. RoSPA was awarded the biggest contract in its history when it was selected by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (now Department for Education) to run an £18million National Home Safety Equipment Scheme, called Safe At Home.
With funding from the Department for Transport, RoSPA undertook the UK's first major Young Drivers at Work project. The Young Drivers Assessment for 17-24-year-olds was also developed. A record 1,500 businesses and organisations were honoured in the RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards 2008. A four-day exhibition was held in the Upper Waiting Hall of the House of Commons to increase awareness of accident prevention. RoSPA appointed its first youth liaison worker.
The work goes on: check out the rest of the RoSPA website for the very latest news.
Share this page: