The award, presented at a gala event held in Birmingham this week (May 16-18) following the 2011 Safety and Health Expo at the NEC, recognises the most outstanding contribution made by a trade association or similar body to provide health and safety assistance to small and medium sized enterprises.
Run by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), the award’s judging criteria were awareness raising and information provision, policy development, performance improvement and recognition, services and benefits, competence development and research.
Awarding the trophy, the judges said they were particularly impressed by the level of dedication of the BCSA in providing advice and assistance to the full range of businesses in the sector from large to small.
Tom Mullarkey, Chief Executive of RoSPA, said: “We congratulate the BCSA for being the first recipient of this new award. The SME Assistance Trophy is founded on the belief that external organisations that have ‘gone the extra mile’ in the help they provide should be recognised and thanked. We also hope that highlighting good practice in this way will encourage other trade associations to step up their support in this area.”
BCSA Health and Safety Manager Peter Walker, said: “We are delighted to be the first ever winners of this Trophy, which reflects the importance our industry places on health and safety. The judges were looking for hard evidence of our performance, diligence and commitment towards improvement. I am proud that we have demonstrated those qualities to the highest standard among our peers.”
The BCSA will hold the Trophy for one year and has also received a commemorative plaque to keep permanently.
The award coincides with the news that the accident rate for BCSA member companies has been reduced by 25% over the last 12 months.
“The 25% reduction is a very good result that demonstrates the industry is committed to improving working practices and procedures, some of which are developed with the BCSA health and safety committee to address the current issues and best practice. This is based on shared experiences and intended to help reduce accidents and injuries further,” added Mr Walker.
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