CWU Wins Major Health and Safety Award

[TrueBlueTerrier]

09 October 2008
CWU Wins Major Health and Safety Award

The CWU became the first trade union to win a prestigious Safety & Health Practitioner/Institute Of Occupational Safety & Heath award when the winners were announced at the awards presentation ceremony in London last night (October 9). This is the third major health and safety award won by the CWU this year. CWU and BT were winners in the ‘Best Partnership Health & Safety Campaign Initiative" category for the 'Workfit' Cancer Awareness initiative, carried out by CWU, BT and sister Union 'Connect'.

Tom Cooper and Dave JoyceHealth and Safety minister Lord McKenzie of Luton paid tribute to the achievements of the CWU and those shortlisted. Lord McKenzie who recently visited CWU/HQ to meet CWU Safety Reps from across the country opened the SHP/IOSH event and dismissed the Tory Party leader’s recent comments on health and safety by pointing out that senior politicians “should know better”. Lord McKenzie made a point of personally commending the CWU's work to raise awareness of health and safety and high profile campaigning on a number of health and safety issues. He praised IOSH for work as one of the UK's leading safety professional bodies and there was praise for SHP magazine too, which the minister said provided “comprehensive and authoritative coverage” for the profession.

TUC Head of Health and Safety Hugh Robertson was also present and added his congratulations and was delighted to see a trade union win.

The HSE who are supporters of the SHP/IOSH awards congratulated the CWU and BT on their 2008 achievements HSE Chair Judith Hackitt and Principle HSE Inspector Mark Dawson amongst others congratulating the CWU. Royal Mail Letter Director Safety Norman Smith, International Institute of Risk and Safety Management Chair Keith Scott and RMG Director CSR added their congratulations.
Over a thousand people from organisations, companies and safety practitioners from across the UK packed in to the Park Lane Hilton in London to honour the achievements of those up for an SHP IOSH Awards where 14 trophies in all were handed out in the various categories. Web link to the awards: http://www.shponline.co.uk/winners.asp

Of the Winners, CWU and BT, the Judges were impressed by the sheer ambition, scope, and commitment. Workfit, they said, was a comprehensive and very impressive campaign, drawn up under a true partnership approach.

‘Cancer and you’ was the fifth campaign in the Workfit programme and increased cancer awareness among the BT workforce. It involved the provision of comprehensive information and guidance, including via a series of roadshows across the UK and beyond, a poster campaign, a range of local initiatives created and delivered by the CWU, Connect and local BT management, and an interactive website set up with the national charity 'CancerBACUP', providing high-quality information on cancer.
Earlier this year CWU along with Royal Mail won the RoSPA 'Workforce Involvement in Safety and Health Trophy', for demonstrating the best Safety Representatives involvement in the organisation's health and safety management. The Judges looked for employee involvement at operational level and effective Union Health and Safety representation - provided by CWU's appointed, trained, supported Safety Reps, carrying out inspections and investigations and representing members’ concerns.
Steve Mann and Dave JoyceIn September the CWU won the TUC's Safety Representative of the Year Award, becoming the first Trade Union to win three times.

CWU National Health and Safety Officer Dave Joyce (pictured here with Steve Mann, Telecoms H&S Officer, and above with Tom Cooper, NEC H&S Committee Member) said "Its been a great year for the CWU in recognising what our Union does in the Health and Safety field, through our national network of trained and dedicated Health and Safety Representatives. We're delighted to pick up these awards this year. Joint working and the full involvement and support for our Union's Safety Representatives has benefited the employers and our members alike. The Union has also established firm links and working relationships with a number of the UK's leading Health Charities and Safety Organisations." Dave continued "It's also just reward for the way that over the last 5 years the CWU has worked tirelessly to lift the profile of health and safety and broaden our horizons, now being widely recognised as one of the UK's leading trade union stakeholders and opinion formers on health and safety as a progressive, campaigning Union. We've invested in the education and training of health and safety representatives and our people are professionals in every sense of the word and in most cases more knowledgeable in the field than the managers they deal with. It's CWU health and safety representatives who deserve the full credit for their hard work and dedication that makes workplaces where CWU members work, healthier and safety places to be against many dangers and difficulties they have to tackle".
The Workfit partnership initiative was launched in 2005 with the first campaign on lifestyle with CWU health and safety Reps running road shows across the country and distributing health toolkits and information. That was followed by health campaigns on Smoking, Exercise, Mental Health, Cancer and the latest initiative on Diabetes.

[johnnyp]

Well done to all our CWU Health and Safety reps across the country