British Safety Council held a Gala Dinner on 19 May to celebrate the International Safety Awards (ISAs) 2023 at the Landmark hotel in London. This is the 65th year the awards have taken place.
The event was hosted by British racing driver Perry McCarthy (aka the original ‘Stig’ from BBC Top Gear). The prestigious event included speeches by British Safety Council CEO, Mike Robinson, its chairman Peter McGettrick, and Jason Anker MBE who, alongside his daughter Abbi, spoke about his accident working at height 30 years ago which left him paralysed from the waist down, how it affected them as a family, and how he found the motivation to recover and achieve career success since then.
The event combined both a formal presentation ceremony with a dinner and an evening of live entertainment.
This year, 774 organisations of all sizes and sectors won British Safety Council’s acclaimed ISA awards. They came from as far as Africa, Asia, India, mainland Europe and the Middle East. 136 applicants achieved a distinction, 298 achieved a merit and 337 achieved a pass.
Only the best of the best wins an overall category award, and a full list of the winners is below.
The occasion was also used by British Safety Council to announce winners of the Mates in Mind Impact Awards, which are given by its sister charity, Mates in Mind to companies seeking to improve mental health at work, especially in the construction sector.
Addressing the room of award entrants and winners, Mike Robinson said: “As always, this event provides the opportunity to celebrate the success of all the winners of the International Safety Awards and associated free to enter awards.
“I’m delighted to see so many people here tonight, as by your presence you’re not only demonstrating your commitment to improving the health, safety and wellbeing of your organisations, but are also helping celebrate sixty-five years of improving health & safety standards around the world.
“This week is mental health awareness week, and therefore it is timely that tonight we’ll also be celebrating the Mates in Mind Impact Awards. These awards, open to supporters of Mates in Mind, seek to recognise and reward the amazing work being undertaken by companies in addressing mental health, especially in the construction sector.”
In his address, Peter McGettrick said: “The commitment to health and safety in this room is an inspiration to us all, and we thank you for your dedication to keeping our workplaces and communities safe.
“We applaud your hard work, dedication, and commitment and these awards remind us that health and safety is not just the responsibility of those at the top, but one that requires everyone to take responsibility for their own health, safety and wellbeing.”
Reflecting on how his life changed after a work-related accident, which led to his relationship breaking down, over-dependence on drugs and alcohol and further damage to his brain from an accidental overdose, Jason Anker MBE said: “This year is 30 years since I fell while working at height, and I have looked at how far I have come in my life. Life is 10 per cent what happens to you and 90 per cent how you react to it. The most powerful thing to me is how our lives, and especially my daughter Abbi and I, have adapted since my accident. There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t wake up and think, ‘if only’.
“With the help of my business partner Tim and an amazing team of supporters, I recently completed a successful ascent of Mount Snowdon, in a gruelling nine-and-a-half-hour trek there and back. Two days later, I went down the fastest zip wire in the World, in Wales, suspended face down travelling at over 100 miles an hour. On 9 June, my daughter Abbi and I will do a big parachute jump, skydiving 15,000 feet in tandem, all to raise money for two charities No Falls Foundation and Mental Health UK. Life sometimes throws you lemons, make lemonade.”
This year’s International Safety Awards are sponsored by RS Safety Solutions.
For more on this year’s awards click here.
International Safety Awards 2023 – Category Winners
Free to Enter Awards
CEO of the Year
WINNER:
- Folake Soetan - Ikeja Electric Plc
Folake Soetan was appointed CEO of Ikeja Electric in January 2020, just before the COVID-19 lockdown. She steered the business to successfully navigate the globally challenging period earning her the trust of the over 3,000 staff in the company. She has put safety at the heart of the organisation’s core values, integrating a culture of health, safety, environment, and sustainability. She promotes employee consultation and participation and has driven a corporate goal to automate behavioural-based safety. This has resulted in a proven record of achievement.
Health, Safety and Wellbeing Ambassador of the Year Award
WINNER:
- Emma Short - Tees Valley Energy from Waste site
Emma Short is Administration Manager at Tees Valley Energy-from-Waste facility and one of their Wellbeing and Inclusion Ambassadors. She has played a significant role ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of colleagues and others. Through Emma the team have delivered a broad range of activities, demonstrating innovative and creative ideas, as well as having helped to influence initiatives nationally. Emma’s work has had a significant positive impact on colleagues helping to reduce absence rates.
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
- Md. Omar Sharif Ahmmed Chowdhury (Gonosasthaya Samaj vittik Medical College Hospital)
Health and Safety Transformation Award – sponsored by Croner–i
WINNER:
- Hitachi Rail in partnership with BB&A
Hitachi Rail needed to embed a consistent, global health and safety culture to reduce serious incident risk and improve overall performance. They partnered with culture change consultancy, BB&A to define and engage the business. The current culture was explored through internal interviews with four objectives identified to enable a shift. The resultant global culture change programme focused on conversation-based communications and leadership learning. Four sets of measures were used to evaluate the success of the programme, which showed significant and proven results across several areas.
NEW: Seize the Opportunity Award
WINNERS:
- Dubai Municipality
It was necessary to find a solution to support the emirate’s plan to confront and combat COVID-19 and to cooperate with Dubai government departments in its expanded campaign to sterilise all areas of the emirate. The Dubai Municipality solution was to manufacture equipment that sterilises the atmosphere without human intervention and at a low financial cost. Following landfill waste odour complaints this equipment was then modified to incorporate air fresheners providing wider benefits too.
- Dubai Municipality - Health & Safety Department
Dubai Municipality Health & Safety Department collaborated with Dubai Police, to launch a Labour Community Market initiative, which was an innovative solution post-COVID to eliminate the negative effects of random markets on security, social, health, safety and wellbeing and economic aspects in labour accommodation areas. The initiative achieved many positive impacts including to secure labour jobs and engage them by providing necessary welfare facilities at their accommodation areas. Additionally, suppliers, construction and maintenance companies, and supporting services companies benefited economically.
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
- Tusas Engine Industries
The James Tye Award
WINNER:
- Dubai Municipality
The goal was to prevent public health issues in educational institutions. They created two initiatives through involving stakeholders but also students, parents and teachers to maintain safe practices in their lifestyle whether at school, home or public areas. The goal was to increase student awareness about health and safety requirements, reduce injuries rate, promote safe practices, foster positive safety culture in schools, and improve communication with educational institutions and regulatory bodies. The initiatives showed proven positive results.
Team of the Year Award
WINNERS:
- Fire Safety Team - Wheatley Group
The Team set a goal to reduce the number of accidental dwelling fires in Group properties by 10% over a five-year period. With help from housing colleagues and through partnership working with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, they focused on vulnerable customers and those at risk of fire due to physical, cognitive or mental impairments as well as lifestyle factors. Through extensive customer engagement, providing fire safety advice and ascertaining if further control measures were required, accidental dwelling fires reduced.
- Project HSE Steering Committee DMCC's Dubai Uptown Project - WSP Middle East
The Project HSE Steering Committee was formed from stakeholders such as (sub)contractors to manage the HSE aspects in DMCC's Dubai Uptown Project. Various studies into critical hazards and mitigation programs resulted in successful campaigns during the year. All the smart initiatives and hard work of the team yielded fruitful results. Safety culture improved and the project is even driving broader changes within the sector and geographical region.
Wellbeing Initiative Award – powered by Being Well Together
WINNER:
- EMCOR UK
The Wellbeing Sustainability and Assurance department committed to deliver cultural change across the organisation. Through the ‘Be There For Life’ programme, the principle aim was to promote behavioural based change, develop a just culture and more collaborative working. The output was a more robust, proactive and risk-based approach to thinking, behaviours and decision making. Through the program they saw significant improvements in RIDDOR incidents related to improving culture and raising awareness of risk.
Best in Sector
Art and Culture – Museums, Galleries
- Ejadah - Idama Facilities Management Solutions
Construction and Property Activities
- Britcon (UK) Limited
- China Construction Eighth Engineering Division Corp. Ltd - Subdivisions I & II of Bid ZJTLSG-Ⅱ for Shandong Section of New Railway from Zhengzhou to Jinan
- China State Construction Engineering Corp. Ltd- Construction of Motorway on Corridor Vc Section
- WSP In the Middle East - DMCC Uptown Tower
Education
- TTE Training Limited
Financial, IT, Legal, Scientific and Technical Services and Media
- Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP
Leisure, Sports Clubs, Hospitality and Catering
- The FA - St. George's Park
Local Government, Defence and Public Service
- China Harbour (Singapore) Engineering Company Pte. Ltd. - TUAS Water Reclamation Plant (TWRP) Contract 2B
- Morrison Data Services
Manufacturing
- Istanbul Asfalt Fabrikalari Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Şirketi
Oil, Gas, Mining and Quarrying
- WRB Gas (Contracts) Ltd
Onshore major hazard
- City Demolition Contractors Birmingham Ltd
Power and Utilities
- ENKA İnşaat ve Sanayi A.Ş - Misurata 650 MW Simple Cycle Power Plant Project
Transport, Distribution and Storage
- SunExpress Airlines
Wholesale and Retail Services
- Nippon Gases UK Ltd
Best in Country
Africa
- ENKA İnşaat ve Sanayi A.Ş - Misurata 650 MW Simple Cycle Power Plant Project
Bahrain
- Bahrain Petroleum Company B.S.C. (Closed)
Bangladesh
- Larsen and Toubro Limited, Transportation Infrastructure IC, Railway SBG, Dhaka Metro, CP-07 Project
China
- China Construction Eighth Engineering Division Corp. Ltd - Subdivisions I & II of Bid ZJTLSG-Ⅱ for Shandong Section of New Railway from Zhengzhou to Jinan
Egypt
- China Construction Eighth Engineering Division Corp, Ltd(North China) & China State Construction Engineering Corp. Ltd (EGYPT) - Alamein Downtown Towers D01M
Europe
- China State Construction Engineering Corp. Ltd- Construction of Motorway on Corridor Vc Section
Jordan
- AES Jordan PSC
- AES Levant Holdings BV
Kuwait
- Kuwait National Petroleum Company - Head Office
Malaysia
- Petronas Gas Berhad - Regas Terminal (Sungai Udang)
Pakistan
- Engro Powergen Thar Limited (EPTL)
- Pak Arab Fertilizers Ltd
Qatar
- Galfar Al Misnad - EPIC for Route Survey, Design Construction, Installation & Hook-up of Well flow Lines in Dukhan Fields, Part -A (2019-2022)
Saudi Arabia
- KEC International Ltd - Saudi Arabia
Serbia
- China Construction First Group Corporation Limited - The Chinese Cultural Center Project
Singapore
- Or Kim Peow Contractor (Pte) Ltd: ER443-Walk2Ride
Thailand
- China State Construction Engineering (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
Turkey
- SunExpress Airlines
United Kingdom
- Britcon (UK) Limited
UAE
- WSP In the Middle East - DMCC Uptown Tower
Chief Adjudicator’s Award
WINNERS:
- Britcon (UK) Limited
- China Construction Eighth Engineering Division Corp. Ltd - Subdivisions I & II of Bid ZJTLSG-Ⅱ for Shandong Section of New Railway from Zhengzhou to Jinan
- China State Construction Engineering Corp. Ltd- Construction of Motorway on Corridor Vc Section
- ENKA İnşaat ve Sanayi A.Ş - Misurata 650 MW Simple Cycle Power Plant Project
- SunExpress Airlines
- WSP In the Middle East - DMCC Uptown Tower