Successful MPA H&S Safety Conference and Awards 2014

The 2897 Mineral Products Association’s Health & Safety Conference and Awards 2014 took place at the new location of 30 Euston Square, London, bringing together over 70 organisations, including members, contractors and other key stakeholders from all over of the UK, to celebrate commitment, progress and achievement in health and safety and share best practice.

The theme was Reducing Harm through Leadership and Workforce Engagement.

Overall, the prestigious Awards attracted 150 entries from 37 different organisations, with 50% of submissions provided by companies with less than 1,000 direct employees. A full-house of 300 delegates filled this year’s impressive, larger capacity auditorium and the event was sold out well advance.

The new Safequarry app was also launched at the event, the industry’s first Health and Safety App. Over recent years the Safequarry.com website has made a huge impact across the mineral products industry and beyond: 112 countries worldwide. It is packed with vital information and opportunities for learning and sharing to prevent injury and ill health. But is doesn’t always reach the people who might benefit most: those who work, sometimes literally, at the industry’s rock face.

It is said that MPA’s new Safequarry app will change this by reaching out to the many who have switched on to mobile devices for their web browsing.

Tom Mullarkey MBE, chief executive of the 3668 Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and keynote speaker, said: “Organisations such as the Mineral Products Association are a wellspring of good safety practice and ideas, at the same time as our wider society is being crushed under the burden of accidental injury - as seen by the overpressure on A&E.  We need a fresh approach - a new vision for health and safety - to utilise our excellent skills in tackling this new challenge, re-energising health and safety and engaging the full potential of our workforce in helping their families, communities and society to live safer and healthier lives. In addition to the clear societal benefits, this will also bring enormous social, practical and financial benefits to the organisations themselves.”

Kevin Furniss, another keynote speaker and a key strategic member of the team that oversaw the construction programme for the 2012 3146 London Olympics, who began his career in the minerals extraction industry with Mansfield Sand, said: “Nearly 30 years ago my own work and safety journey began in the minerals extraction industry; I feel really proud and humbled that the MPA asked me to speak at this year’s Health & Safety Conference on leadership and employee engagement.
“For me, these two areas are super critical when it comes to reducing operational risk and therefore the potential for harm.  If I could only ever ask a leader to do one thing to keep people safe at work, it would be to engage with their teams and inspire those emotional connections in people that ultimately changes their thinking on safety from ‘I need to; to I want to’.”

Nigel Jackson, Chief Executive MPA, said: “This event is absolutely critical to MPA and its members. It is an annual fixture that never fails to impress, enlighten and inform delegates of the best health and safety innovations and bright ideas which are being adopted by the industry.

“I am very glad that more delegates have attended this year than we have ever had before and to have attracted a very high number of entries to the Awards, with a selection of exceptional winners.

“MPA is committed to achieving Zero Harm and we have set a further challenging 5 year integrated Lost Time Injury Frequency rate target of 65% reduction, following our success in 2013. The theme of Reducing Harm through Leadership and Workforce Engagement is a key focus for us as we drive towards this target.”

The afternoon awards ceremony showcased members' cutting-edge approach to understanding and tackling health and safety challenges in ways that are helpful to the whole industry.

The winners of this year’s independently judged MPA Health and Safety awards, which included a new category, Reducing Occupational Road Risk (sponsored by TfL/Transport for London), are:

•    The Sir Frank Davies Trophy for companies with less than 1,000 employees
Winner: Kilwaughter Chemical Company Ltd

•    John Crabbe Memorial Trophy for overall outstanding excellence in health and safety
Winner: 7447 Hope Construction Materials

•    Bitumen; Asphalt; Contract Surfacing
Winner: 7235 Lafarge Tarmac

•    Behavioural Safety; Safety Culture; Leadership
Winner: Lafarge Tarmac

•    Contractor Safety
Winner: 6156 CEMEX UK

•     Engineering Initiatives
Winner: Lafarge Tarmac

•     Occupational Health and Well Being
Winner: Quarries Partnership Team (QPT)

•     Reducing Occupational Road Risk
Winner: Lafarge Tarmac

•    Transport Initiatives
Winner: 3712 Brett Group

•    Worker Involvement
Winner: 1343 Hanson UK

•    MPA Special Award for companies with less than 100 employees
Winner: Albion Stone

•    MPA Special Award for companies with 100 to 1,000 employees
Winner: 1538 Singleton Birch

Nineteen named individuals were recognised for “going the extra mile” in furthering the cause of health and safety.

The audience included entrants, industry representatives, contractors, key health and safety personnel, representatives from the HSE, and other stakeholder organisations.