RRC International are proud supporters of Health and Safety Week 2014, an initiative that is celebrating the UK’s 85% reduction in fatal accidents since the introduction of the Safety at Work Act in 1974.
The UK’s key health and safety bodies have untied to launch H&S Week including;
- BOHS – British Occupational Hygiene Society
- BSIF – British Safety Industry Federation
- NEBOSH – National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health
- IOSH – Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
- IIRSM – International Institute of Risk and Safety Management
- SGUK – Safety Groups UK
Businesses have more recently been wising up to the long term benefits of ensuring that health and safety is an integral part of their sustainability and CSR initiatives. Evidence of this is the recently released report by the British Safety Council highlighting the true cost of accidents, injuries and and ill health on the UK economy to be £13.8b in 2010/11.
“The purpose of the week is to shed 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 Beach, Director of UBM Live says. “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 the Safety and Health Expo 2014 on Tuesday the 17th June at 10am by Judith Hackitt CBE, Chair, Health and Safety Executive. RRC International will also be exhibiting at this event, at stand Q2400, so if you are attending please drop by and say hi.