06 : 03 am |10th September 2010

News

ECT RECEIVES TOP HEALTH AND SAFETY AWARD FROM BRITISH SAFETY COUNCIL

14/12/2004

ECT, the UK’s largest community recycler, has received a five star health and safety rating from the British Safety Council – the highest rating an organisation can achieve. This means ECT is the first recycling organisation to be eligible to apply for the British Safety Council’s prestigious 2005 Sword of Honour award.

ECT’s recycling depot in Greenford, West London took part in the rigorous Five Star Health and Safety Management System Audit which covers 82 separate elements including risk assessments, fire routes, first aid provision and emergency planning. The British Safety Council audit highlighted a number of ECT’s strengths including excellent manual handling training and refresher training, thorough risk assessments, method statements for all work areas and good use of reporting techniques.

Effective health and safety procedures are vital to the well being of any organisation. According to the Health and Safety Executive in 2003-4 an estimated 39 million working days were lost overall, 30 million due to work-related ill health and 9 million due to workplace injury.

ECT’s Director of Operations, Rhona Coulter says: ‘As an employer, ECT has always considered health and safety as a priority – not only as far as our staff are concerned, but also for the millions of people who use our recycling services.

‘The fact we have been awarded five stars for our recycling site in West London is great news for ECT and those who use our services. We are delighted that we are the first recycling organisation to be eligible to apply for the internationally recognised Sword of Honour award.’

This is the first time ECT has had a recycling site audited for health and safety by the British Safety Council.
ENDS

For further information please contact Rowena Merrick or Helen Ashley, Upward Curve PR on 020 8241 7091.

Notes to editors:

ECT
• Formed in 1979, ECT has grown into a leading social enterprise, providing a range of high quality services for the community.
• The organisation is Investors in People accredited and meets the ISO 9000, ISO 14000 quality standards
• ECT has a turnover of £22million
• Its core services include recycling, community transport, bus services and engineering
• The organisation employs more than 600 staff
• ECT is the UK’s largest community recycling organisation serving more than 2 million people in partnership with 16 local authorities
• ECT is committed to incorporating social responsibility, environmental sustainability and economic viability into all that it does
• www.ectgroup.co.uk

The British Safety Council
• The British Safety Council is Britain’s largest independent organisation devoted to health and safety in the workplace and is one of the world's leading occupational health, safety and environmental organisations. Founded in 1957, the British Safety Council works hand-in-hand with the world's leading companies, from more than 50 countries, developing safe systems of work.
• Its 10,000 member companies employ approximately one in six of the UK’s workforce. The BSC has an annual turnover of £10 million and employs 140 full-time and 40 part-time staff.
• The highly prestigious Sword of Honour is awarded to just 40 companies a year, internationally, and only those companies who have achieved five stars in the Five Star Health and Safety Management System Audit are eligible to apply. This scheme recognises those organisations which go way over and above the legal minimum requirements.