Winner and finalists:

Clugston Construction has raised the profile of occupational health in its organisational structure something for which at least 54 members of staff have reason to be extremely thankful...

Clugston Construction

Health may always go hand in hand with safety in organisational terms, but Clugston wanted to make sure the former was not eclipsed by the latter. In February 2005, the 120m-turnover construction group decided to separate health and safety finally, health was given a dedicated identity and corporate statement. Clugston set up occupational health screenings for its 600-strong workforce, based around five key trades general operative, bricklayer, joiner, plant operator and steel fixer. This means that every worker gets a system tailored to his or her own needs. So far, the screenings have identified 54 cases of ill health that would otherwise have gone unnoticed.

Bovis Lend Lease

On Bovis Lend Leases PFI oncology wing project at St James Hospital in Leeds, one woman has made all the difference to the companys health and wellbeing. Site nurse Caroline McLeod has worked for BLL since May 2005. Initially employed to provide treatment and advice, Caroline has gone beyond her brief to ensure occupational health is at the forefront of workers minds. Lifestyle checks, blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol testing and courses to help workers stop smoking mean this hospital is helping people get better before it is even finished.

Bovis Lend Lease (Scotland)

It may be a generalisation that every construction worker drinks alcohol, smokes cigarettes and eats junk food to excess, but Bovis Lend Lease Scotland decided to take no chances at its Silverburn development. Smoking cessation workshops have cut down workplace smoking by 30%, the staff canteen has won a Healthy Living award for the wholesome choices on its menu, and the company has joined forces with a local alcohol education project to make sure workers drink sensibly. As a result, BLL says workers are fitter, happier and more productive.

Hewden

As the UKs largest plant rental company, Hewden realises the importance of protecting both its employees and its customers from noise-related health risks. The Shout About Noise campaign was unveiled in 2006 to coincide with new noise exposure regulations. The new rules were complicated, but Hewdens campaign was not the lesson was if you had to shout to be heard, then the noise you are making is already louder than the recommended levels. To hammer it home, hundreds of branded ear plugs were sent to Hewden customers free of charge.

Taylor Woodrow

Batching and pouring 75,000 cubic metres of concrete over a two-year period could easily end in a nightmare of skin- and respiratory-related diseases. Luckily, Taylor Woodrows four-man team of safety advisers developed an intense surveillance scheme on its South Hook gas terminal site. Checks every one or two months, on-site skin creams and impervious gloves, overalls and boots mean that since the beginning of the project not a single concrete, skin or respiratory-related condition has been detected in over 100,000 man hours.

White Young Green

Everyone with a professional interest in health and safety knows the most tiresome element of their job can be the overwhelming paperwork. With this in mind, White Young Greens Belfast office has designed its patented WYG Project Risk Assessor software. Using Microsoft Access, staff can calculate risk by project, site, assessment, activity, hazard and control measure without filling out a multitude of forms. Not only have accident frequency rates dropped, but WYG has found using the software saves each user 20 minutes of time per assessment.

Health and Safety Awards 2007