International Safety Awards 2019 Launched

British Safety Council launches International Safety Awards 2019 with new award categories and improvements to make them more globally accessible.

The British Safety Council’s International Safety Awards are an internationally recognised accolade for safety excellence. The Awards, in their 61st year in 2019, recognise and reward organisations that have demonstrated a true commitment to achieving high standards of health and safety during the 2018 calendar year. Last year, 550 organisations from a wide range of industries, countries and continents won an International Safety Award.

The awards are now open to organisations of all sizes, types and sectors – both members of the British Safety Council and non-members, in the UK and internationally.

The 2019 Awards have been launched earlier than usual, making the themed questions and marking criteria available in June rather than October, to give organisations a better opportunity to plan their health and safety activities in line with the scheme’s requirements. The British Safety Council hopes that the enhanced awards scheme will encourage further improvements in health and safety among businesses, as well as being an internationally recognised reward mechanism.

New awards recognising individual efforts
In addition to the Health and Safety Champion Awards, for non-health and safety personnel aged 25 or over and for young employees under 25, who have gone beyond the call of duty to protect their colleagues, the British Safety Council is introducing two new awards:

• Team of the Year Award – recognising the outstanding achievements from a group of employees
• Outstanding Bravery Award – celebrating the amazing feats of selfless individuals.

Awards for HSE innovation and wellbeing
Encouraged by the high response to the two new categories of the awards introduced in 2018, which reflect the growing interest and investment in wellbeing and health and safety innovation, the British Safety Council is further refining these awards:

• Initiative in Wellbeing Award – that recognises the organisations which believe good health and safety starts with their people
• Innovation in Occupational Health and Safety Award – that recognises health and safety achievements of progressive organisations.

Awards recognising the best applicants, i.e. Chief Adjudicator’s Award and Sector Awards, are also being expanded by a new category: Best in Country Award.

Evidence-based bonus marks
Applicants can now be awarded up to five bonus marks through the submission of evidence for five of the 10 marked questions. Bonus marks will only be awarded for evidence that is relevant to the question and all evidence must meet the specific criteria outlined in the marking scheme.

Achievement-based bonus marks
A maximum of three further bonus marks will be awarded to applications relating to sites that have achieved three stars and above in the British Safety Council Five Star Occupational Health and Safety Audit (valid for at least six months of the eligible year); and those who can provide evidence of a current and valid OHSAS 18001 or ISO 45001 certification relating to the applicant site. The bonus marks will benefit organisations that have recorded significant achievements in health, safety and wellbeing over the past year and wish to enhance their written response to the questions.

Launching the 2019 awards, Mike Robinson, the British Safety Council’s Chief Executive, said: “Recognising the special role of the International Safety Awards in the health and safety industry, the British Safety Council is constantly revising and developing the scheme to keep it relevant to businesses worldwide. Acting on the feedback received from awards participants, this year, we have introduced several changes to the scheme to make it more accessible for organisations globally.

“The new award categories reflect the growing investment of businesses in wellbeing and health, safety and environmental innovation. They also reward outstanding individual commitment of people, who have gone beyond the call of duty to protect their colleagues.”

Celebrate the 61st year of the International Safety Awards at a Gala Dinner
All the winners of the awards will be invited to celebrate their success at the spectacular 61st International Safety Awards Gala Dinner which will take place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on Friday, 5 April 2019.

The closing date for applications for the Awards is Friday, 11 January 2019 and the results will be announced on Monday, 11 February 2019.  

To apply go to: International Safety Awards 2019.