RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

January 30, 2004
LOCAL GROUPS REWARDED FOR SPREADING SAFETY MESSAGE

RoSPA has rewarded local occupational health and safety groups for their commitment to making the workplace safer during 2003.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has over 80 of the groups located throughout the United Kingdom. They provide a local forum for communication between employers, educational establishments, local authorities, health and safety inspectors and trade unions.

The Alan Butler Memorial Awards for Excellence, sponsored by BT, are given to those groups that are clearly outstanding in their field.

Des Browne, Minister of State for Work, presented award winners with their certificates at the House of Lords yesterday (Thursday, January 29). Winners in each award category received a prize of £300.

The groups fall into two categories, large and small. Large groups are those with 65 or more members, small ones consist of less than 65 members.

Award winners were: Swansea and West Wales Occupational Safety Group - best programme for large groups; Cambridge Occupational Safety Group - best programme small groups; North West Regional Association of Occupational Safety Groups - best seminar; and Scunthorpe Area Executive Health and Safety Group - best communication.

Roly Buss, awards co-ordinator for the National Health and Safety Groups Council, said: “These awards are very important to local safety groups. They help to make others aware of the hard work and dedication that is involved in promoting safety in the workplace.

“Local safety groups are a vital part of spreading the safety message at grass roots level, providing an opportunity for people involved in safety to network. Another benefit is that they allow large organisations to share safety knowledge with smaller companies.”

Local contacts are: Swansea and West Wales – Ann Jones 01792 205051; Cambridge – Karen Pring 08701 962122; North West – Eddie Miles 01282 420298; and Scunthorpe – Margaret Green 01724 402573.