BSC launches 2015 International Safety Awards
7th October 2014

The British Safety Council has formally launched its 2015 International Safety Awards, which are designed to recognise organisations from around the world who have demonstrated their commitment to ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of their employees during the 2014 calendar year.   

2015 will mark the 57th year of the International Safety Awards, which have made a significant contribution over that period in promoting and celebrating the social, economic and business benefits of employers taking effective steps to

prevent people being injured or made ill at work.
The awards are open to businesses and organisations of all sizes and industry sectors – both members of the British Safety Council and non-members – in the UK and internationally.

Last year, 524 organisations from a wide range of industry sectors and countries won an International Safety Award, including businesses from the UK, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and the West Indies. Winning UK-based organisations included such well-known names as Aston Martin Lagonda, BAE Systems, British Gas, Ladbrokes, Land Securities, Twickenham Stadium, Wessex Water and Willmott Dixon. International winners included Bahrain National Gas Company, Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Ltd of Nigeria, Flinders Ports of Australia, HHSL Safety Systems Ltd of Trinidad, Kenya Airways, Kuwait Oil Company and Reliance Industries of India.

Launching the application phase of the awards, Alex Botha, British Safety Council Chief Executive, said: “Every year, more than 2.3 million people die globally as a result of work-related injury and ill health, but all the evidence shows that excellent health and safety management is of great social and economic value: it’s good for people and it’s good for business. 

“The British Safety Council’s vision is that no one should be injured or made ill at work – anywhere in the world; and the prestigious International Safety Awards seek to recognise and reward those organisations that have shown a real commitment and dedication to keeping their workplaces and workers healthy and safe.

“By winning an International Safety Award, an organisation can benchmark and celebrate its health and safety achievements; enhance its reputation among employees, business partners, customers and the wider public; and inspire other businesses of all sizes around the world to strive to achieve the highest standards of health and safety management.”

The International Safety Awards generally relate to health and safety management at a specific site or business unit, and applicants answer a series of online questions about their management of health and safety risks. These are assessed by a team of independent chartered health and safety professionals and, if the application meets the required standard, a pass, merit or – for really exceptional submissions – a distinction is awarded.

This year, winning organisations can also once again enter for additional ‘Sector Awards’, which will recognise outstanding sites and business units within individual business sectors.

The closing date for applications for the International Safety Awards is 2 February 2015 and the results will be announced on 26 February 2015.

To apply for an International Safety Award go to: www.britsafe.org/isa.

The winners of this year’s awards will be invited to celebrate their success at the spectacular International Safety Awards Gala Dinner, which takes place at the famous Grosvenor House Hotel on London’s Park Lane on the night of Friday 24 April 2015. 

The black-tie event is attended by hundreds of businesses and individuals from the UK and overseas, and features formal award presentations, a fine dining experience and an evening of live entertainment and dancing.

The event is also open to any organisation or individual in the UK or internationally that wishes to celebrate their commitment to health and safety, and provides a great opportunity for International Safety Award winners and others to reward their employees, contractors and business partners for making workplaces safer and healthier, and to network with hundreds of like-minded people and companies.

Organisations that purchase their application form before the early bird deadline of 12 December 2014 will be entered into a prize draw to win a pair of tickets for the International Safety Awards Gala Dinner (terms and conditions apply).

Once again this year, within the International Safety Award scheme, the British Safety Council is running two awards which recognise exceptional individual performance: the Health and Safety Champion of the Year Award, for non-health and safety personnel over the age of 21, and the Young Health and Safety Champion of the Year Award, for non-health and safety personnel aged 16-21.

These are optional and free to enter for all International Safety Award entrants, and provide applying organisations with the opportunity to nominate particular employees who have gone the extra mile to help ensure the health, safety and welfare of colleagues and others. The winners of both awards will receive two tickets to the International Safety Awards Gala Dinner, including all travel and overnight accommodation costs.