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Successful prevention of risks during construction
Good Practice Awards 2004
May 2004
25 countries to take part in European health and safety award
scheme
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, has invited
nominations for the fifth European Good Practice Awards in occupational
safety and health. The 2004 award scheme will recognise companies or
organisations that have made outstanding and innovative contributions to
the prevention of risks from construction and building activities.
Good practice examples are implemented solutions to prevent the
exposure of workers to risks during construction activities. All entries
should show good management, particularly the effective use of risk
assessment and implementation of its findings, and be focused on
'successful prevention of risks to workers'. Entries are invited from all
areas of building and maintenance work, not just construction and examples
may come from different stages of the construction process - from the
initial design and planning stage right through to the work place or
worksite phase. They can be submitted by workplaces or by intermediary
organisations, including chambers of commerce, trade and professional
associations and trade unions.
The Director of the European Agency, Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, said
'Construction is one of Europe's largest industries, with an annual
turnover in excess of €900 billion. Unfortunately it also has one of the
worst occupational safety and health records. This has to change and the
good practice awards aim to demonstrate, by example, to all European
employers and workers the benefits of following good safety and health
practice in building tomorrow's Europe.'
This is the fifth year of the awards, which come under the umbrella of
the annual European Week for Safety and Health at Work. This year's awards
will also be open to the new Member States - which means that a total of
25 countries will be taking part. The Agency will announce the winners at
the week's closing event in November. The awards will provide the winners
with European recognition for their role in improving working conditions
in Europe.
The Week, which will take place 18 - 22 October 2004, is an information
campaign designed to raise awareness and promote activities to make Europe
a safe and healthy place to work. It is coordinated by the European Agency
and will be run in the Member States, acceding, EFTA and candidate. The
Week is aimed at the workplace and all safety and health institutions and
organisations, trade unions, companies, managers, employees and safety
representatives are invited to take part and organise their own
activities. These can include special audits and risk assessment
activities in the workplace, organising training, distributing information
material, launching a new workplace policy, suggestion schemes,
encouraging participation of employees and their representatives or
linking-up with other organisations, businesses or sub contractors to
carry out activities in partnership. The slogan of EW2004 is
"Building in safety".
For the purposes of the Agency's European Week on Safety and Health at
Work 2004, the campaign refers to all construction-related activities, and
includes activities such as building, works of engineering, construction
and demolition. By defining it as construction activities, the week
therefore includes: the maintenance of buildings (including the management
of buildings containing asbestos), repairs to buildings, painting and
decorating, the renovation of ancient monuments, road repair and pipeline
work.
Further information about the awards is detailed in a leaflet available
online at http://ew2004.osha.europa.eu
Contact: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Gran Via 33,
E-48009 Bilbao, Spain | Tel: + 34 94 479 4360 | Fax: + 34 94 479 4383 |
Email: information@osha.eu.int
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