“The College is very proud of its health and safety culture, as it is given a high profile by Governors, Senior Leaders and Managers but more importantly we have a whole business approach. Working with RoSPA helps to ensure that we have the knowledge and support to keep staff and students safer at work.”
Abingdon & Witney College has been handed a prestigious Gold Achievement Award from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) in recognition of its practices and achievements in helping its staff and students get home safely at the end of the working day.
The panel of judges, consisting of highly experienced health and safety professionals, consider a business’ various health and safety actions and focus on how accidents at work can be reduced through risk assessment and management.
This year the emphasis was on staff and student health and to achieve Gold Award status the College was required to meet a number of key criteria, including high levels of compliance with control measures, an excellent occupational health and safety management system, and no fatal or major injuries due to employer negligence.
Julia Small, RoSPA’s head of qualifications, awards and events, said: “The RoSPA Awards are the most highly-respected in the health and safety arena, with almost 2,000 entrants every year, and allow organisations to prove excellence in the workplace, demonstrating a commitment to the wellbeing of not only employees but all those who interact with it.”
The majority of awards are non-competitive and mark achievement at merit, bronze, silver and gold levels. Gold medals, president’s awards, orders of distinction and the Patron’s Award are presented to organisations sustaining the high standards of the gold level over consecutive years.
The College continually seeks to improve its health and safety – from how effective health and safety communication is within the organisation, to its performance in investigating incidents at the workplace. In 2017, it had already won a Silver award at the RoSPA Health and Safety Awards.
John Revis, Head of Occupational Safety & Health, said: “The College is very proud of its health and safety culture, as it is given a high profile by Governors, Senior Leaders and Managers but more importantly we have a whole business approach. Working with RoSPA helps to ensure that we have the knowledge and support to keep staff and students safer at work.”
The College will be presented with the award during a ceremony at Hilton Birmingham Metropole hotel on Wednesday, July 4, 2018.
