Volvo Construction Equipment Division wins Gold for the second time

Volvo Construction Equipment Division, Volvo Group UK Ltd has won a Gold award in the prestigious RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards 2011.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), a safety charity, launched its awards programme over 50 years ago. The scheme looks not only at accident records, but also entrants’ overarching health and safety management systems, including important practices such as strong leadership and workforce environment. In winning the RoSPA Gold Award for its second year, Volvo Construction Equipment Division has demonstrated a very high level of health and safety performance, including well developed occupational health and safety management systems and culture, outstanding control of risk and very low levels of error, harm and loss.

Among the highlights of the audit carried out by a panel of independent health and safety professionals, the Company has demonstrated the following:

• Excellent occupational health and safety management systems (e.g. systems used and levels achieved - OHSAS 18001 or equivalent)
• Strong health and safety culture (as demonstrated by answers to Key Performance Questions)
• A rigorous approach in its leadership to occupational health
• High levels of compliance with control measures (evidence from active monitoring of performance) for principal risks
• Below average and reducing rates of error (e.g. near misses), harm (accidents and work related ill health) and loss (e.g. accident and ill health costs)
• No fatal or major injuries due to employer negligence
• No significant enforcement issues (notices or prosecutions)

“It is particularly pleasing that the Company was able to win the RoSPA Gold Award in a consecutive year whilst undergoing a change of the health and safety management, indicating that that the health and safety culture in the company is recognised as an integral part of the business” said Jonathan Hurley, Volvo CE’s Business Process Manager. “Our commitment to continual improvement will ensure that our health and safety management system retains its reputation as one of the strongest in the industry and enable us to achieve our target of winning the award for a third time in 2012” he continued.

Volvo Construction Equipment Division markets wheeled loaders, articulated haulers, hydraulic excavators, graders, Volvo utility equipment and Volvo road machinery products in the U.K. There are eight strategically placed customer support centres located at Stirling, Immingham, Warrington, Birmingham, Treforest, Woking, Duxford and Newcastle.