All for One and One for All

LONDON, May 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Health and safety bodies unite to launch Health & Safety Week 2014

To celebrate the UK's 85% reduction in fatal accidents since the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Act in 1974, the country's leading health and safety bodies are uniting to launch Health & Safety Week 2014, 16^th - 20^th June, at Safety & Health Expo and reinstate a positive image for this exceptionally worthwhile profession.

     (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130723/629764-a )

Heather Beach, Director, UBM Live, the organisers of this annual exhibition and conference and the driving force behind the week explains "It's about time the UK celebrates its health and safety record.  We lead the world with this record and this is evidenced with events such as London 2012 where no lives were lost during the construction of the Olympic Park.  We should be proud of what we have achieved and shout about our successes because as a result of all the hard work, peoples' lives are being saved every day."

The UK's key health and safety bodies have signed up to launch this week including the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), the British Safety Council (BSC), the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF), the Institution of Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH), the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM), the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH), the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and Safety Groups UK (SGUK) to name but a few.

Whilst the profession has undergone criticism from government and newspapers in the recent past, often due to the civil litigation culture, businesses have been wising up to the long term benefits of ensuring that health and safety is an integral part of their sustainability and CSR initiatives.

"We intend to put a positive light on the importance and value of recognising and engaging with health and safety so that we can begin to focus on the next challenge - the reduction of deaths from work related illnesses," Heather continues.  "Around 13,000 people continue to die every year from illnesses that have developed as a result of their work such as cancer and lung diseases.  This number is clearly not acceptable and Health & Safety Week is being launched to raise awareness of these issues and encourage employers to ensure a worker's life is not put in unnecessary danger."

The week will be launched at Safety & Health Expo 2014 on Tuesday 17^th June at 10am by Judith Hackitt CBE, Chair, Health and Safety Executive. Going forward a range of initiatives and campaigns for businesses and workplaces to engage with will be arranged to build the momentum towards this week each year so that the achievements that protect and save lives can continue to be celebrated.  

Any other organisation that would like to be part of the week and find out more about it should contact:

Heather Beach, Director, UBM Live
[email protected]

Sarah McOnie, Director, The McOnie Agency
[email protected]

Date of Issue: May 2014

Notes to editors 

British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) - With more than 1,800 members in 50 countries, the British Occupational Hygiene Society is the Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection. BOHS members help to protect people against the wide range of health risks that can arise from exposures to hazardous substances or conditions at work.

British Safety Council (BSC) - For more than half a century the British Safety Council has been a trusted guide to excellent health, safety and environmental management. We have educated millions of workers and made hundreds of thousands of workplaces safer for everyone. We do this by sharing information, supporting, advising, educating and campaigning. We are not-for-profit with over 6,000 member organisations worldwide.

We strongly support the aims of Health & Safety Week. The five steps and the supporting actions essential to ensure healthy and safe work activities are set out in our manifesto, Working Well - Five Steps for Healthier and Safer Work Activities - see http://www.britsafe.org/manifesto

British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) - Established in 1994, the British Safety Industry Federation is the UK's leading trade body for the safety industry with more than 160 members ranging from manufacturers and distributors of safety, health and environmental products to safety and environmental consultancies.

Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) - is committed to creating a world of work which is safe, healthy and sustainable. Founded in 1945, IOSH is the biggest health and safety membership organisation in the world, with more than 40,000 individual members in 99 countries.

International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM) - is a global professional membership body that provides recognition, information, support and enhancement for health and safety professionals, specialist members and businesses who manage risk and health and safety.

National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) - is a registered charity who awards qualifications in health and safety and environmental management. Each year, around 50,000 people take NEBOSH qualifications in over 110 countries.

Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) -is a registered charity at the heart of accident prevention in the UK and around the world for almost 100 years. RoSPA is committed to preventing accidents at work, leisure, on the road, in the home and through safety education.

Safety Groups UK (SGUK) - Established in 1947, Safety Groups UK supports more than 70 health and safety groups throughout the UK, partners with other H&S organisations to promote initiatives and reaches out to small firms to help change behaviour.

Press Release Reference No: 9054 

SOURCE UBM Live