A Healthier Future for Construction
The inaugural Health in Construction Leadership Group Breakfast Summit took place last week, which saw over 150 key business leaders and industry influencers come together discussing issues such as why 100 times more UK construction workers die from work-related ill health than accidents.
Mace joined other construction companies such as Land Securities, Crossrail, Balfour Beatty and Skanska as well as industry bodies - Build UK, CITB and HSE - to pledge their commitment.
The Summit was opened with a key note speech by the Chair of the HSE, Dame Judith Hackitt DBE, who said: "Britain has a proud record on health and safety - it's one of the best in the world. Our challenge is how we make it even better. Ill-health caused by work activity is one the biggest challenges we face, with 1.2 million people suffering from a work-related illness in 2014/15. It's through industry groups such as this, the Health in Construction Leadership Group, that we can share good practice and reach a collective agreement on the best ways to help Britain work and be well."
The Breakfast Summit successfully secured the commitment of over 150 companies and industry bodies in eradicating the thousands of cases of ill health and disease caused each year as a result of exposure to health hazards during construction work.
Mace's Chief Executive, Mark Reynolds, said: "The launch of the Construction Health Summit was important to engage our industry leaders to work together to address the health issues affecting our industry. Mace is not only committed to breaking down the barriers associated with occupational health, but also creating healthier work environments that enable our workers' to live longer and more productive lives."
The event was organised and led by the Health in Construction Leadership Group, a collaborative group comprising contractors, clients, professional bodies, trade organisations, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and trade unions.
This cross-industry commitment proves that the issues aligned with health in the construction industry can no longer be second to safety. The Health in Construction Leadership Group has successfully brought industry together in highlighting the disparity between health and safety and witnessed the commitment of industry leaders to a healthier future in the industry.
Following on from this success, the Health in Construction Leadership Group will host their second meeting on 21 April 2016. Welcoming Operational and Health and Safety Directors from those committed companies and industry bodies, the second meeting will see the tactical action plan come together. This will provide industry with the knowledge and means with which to work towards levelling the playing field between health and safety and in eradicating ill health and disease caused each year within the industry.
