Four house-building site managers have been named as the national winners in NHBC's fifth annual Health and Safety Awards, at a ceremony held at the ICC in Birmingham, hosted by Sir Clive Woodward OBE.
The Awards recognise on-site health and safety best practice across four builder-size categories, rewarding site managers who demonstrate exceptional standards of care for the health, safety and wellbeing of their staff and the public.
This year's winners offer clear examples of how best practice can be replicated across the industry. Mike Quinton, NHBC Chief Executive, said:
"It is vital, especially as the house-building industry continues to recover, that health and safety remains a top priority. Experience tells us that accident rates increase after a recession, as build volumes pick up and work-forces become stretched.
"These Awards recognise and share best practice, rewarding those who are leading the way in this field, and the winners can be truly proud of their accolade.
"It makes good business sense to make sure health and safety is addressed. A workforce that feels protected and valued is more motivated, productive and professional in its work. This in turn influences product quality, saleability and, ultimately, customer satisfaction."
The winners were chosen following assessment against comprehensive criteria by an independent panel of experts. The panel included Michelle Aldous, Chief Executive of Constructing Better Health, Gordon Crick, Inspector for the Construction Division of the HSE, and Kevin Fear, Head of Health, Safety and Environment at CITB.
Special awards for teams or individuals leading the way in health and safety were also given, for the categories of 'Health and Safety Strategic Leadership' (Stewart Milne Group) and 'Health and Safety Specialist Leadership' (Clare Walker, Bellway Homes), as well as for Best Occupational Health Initiative (Lend Lease).
For the first time at the NHBC Health and Safety Awards, the judges also chose to give a Special Recognition Award to the HBF Health and Safety Committee, which was formed to bring house-builders of all shapes and sizes together in an open forum to share and discuss best practice in health and safety, and is marking its 20th anniversary this year.