Another reason to get tough on workplace accidents

Wednesday 01 April 2009

Staff of leading construction group Skanska UK have eliminated 100 health and safety hazards recently, thanks to an award-winning fundraising scheme introduced by UK learning disability charity Mencap.

Skanska UK has successfully reduced workplace accidents, since introducing the Mencap Health and Safety Challenge three years ago. As an incentive for staff to report hazards and help make the workplace safer, Skanska donates at least £1 for every near-miss accident report card it receives, and a further £500 for every accident eliminated. This initiative has meant Skanska staff have raised more than £100,000 for Mencap, supporting people with a learning disability lead a more fulfilling life.

Brian Van Campenhout, Skanska Associate Assurance Director, said: "Everyone at Skanska has got behind the Mencap Health and Safety Challenge, and it really has reduced accident rates and creates a safer working environment. It's been a timely and cost saving endeavour, and the fact that we can do this as well as raise money for Mencap to support people with a learning disability is great. We are delighted to be involved in a scheme where everyone wins."

It's a very simple idea, designed by Mencap as a corporate fundraising initiative. Employees are asked to report and remove hazards that could lead to ‘lost time injuries'.* For every hazard reported and removed the company saves money from a potential accident, and instead makes a donation to the charity Mencap to support people with a learning disability live a more fulfilling life.

Mencap works closely with companies to ensure the scheme is tailored to individual company needs, such as such as designing promotional posters, organising road-shows and working with the company's existing reporting scheme to measure the success of the scheme. Any organisation with a focus on health and safety can get involved in the scheme, simply visit the website www.mencap.org.uk or call 020 7696 6973.

ENDS

If you would like to interview Mencap or Skanska about this scheme, please call Stacey Kerr at the Mencap press office on 020 7696 6950 or email stacey.kerr@mencap.org.uk

Notes to editors:

* Lost time injury - an incident which leads to an injury where the employee normally has time off the following day following the incident.

Mencap's Health and Safety Challenge has won a number of awards including 2006 Heating & Ventilation News Awards - Best Safety Initiative - 3 in category (Skanska) and 2006 HSE Building Magazine H&S Awards - Major Contractors Safety Initiative - 5 in Category (Skanska).