National Nuclear Laboratory

News

Thursday 30 March 2023

NNL wins international health and safety accolade 

We fought off stiff international competition to scoop the Sector Award for Research and Development, a prestigious Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) accolade demonstrating our commitment to health and safety excellence. 

This is a fantastic company achievement – thanks to the application by the environment, occupational health, safety, security and quality (EHSS&Q) team! Out of all this year’s entrants that received the gold standard, NNL is top of the pile which is a step up from commended (which we achieved last year) and highly commended. 

Gold standard for best practice

The RoSPA Awards is the largest programme of its kind in the UK. Now into its 67th year, there are almost 2,000 entries per annum, covering nearly 50 countries and a reach of over seven million employees.  

Each category recognises organisations’ commitment to continuous improvement in the prevention of accidents and ill health at work, looking at entrants overarching management systems, including practices such as leadership and workforce involvement. 

Building on last year’s success 

In 2022 we were pleased to achieve Commended in the Renewable Energy Industry Sector category. NNL’s overall safety management arrangements were assessed to be of a high standard, covering all aspects of safety including director-level involvement, risk management, communication, contractor management and health surveillance.  

This year’s entry expanded on the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, assessing hybrid working arrangements so colleagues feel supported and most importantly safe, carrying out their duties across NNL facilities and in home settings. 

Mike Hurst, Vice President, Compliance and EHSS&Q, said: “It is truly rewarding to receive recognition from RoSPA as the leader in our sector. The EHSS&Q function did a great job collating the information to support the submission to showcase health and safety being at the heart of NNL. 

“Whilst our performance is strong, we will still need to be vigilant and not become complacent, always ensuring our people come first. This recognition supports our journey as we continue to operate at the highest standards, providing a positive environment to maximise safety performance and continual improvement initiatives to achieve excellence.” 

Julia Small, RoSPA’s Achievements Director, said: “Accidents at work and work-related ill health don’t just have huge financial implications or cause major disruption – they significantly impact an individual’s quality of life. That’s why good safety performance deserves to be recognised and rewarded. 

“We are thrilled that NNL has won a RoSPA Award and would like to congratulate them on showing an unwavering commitment to keeping their employees, clients and customers safe from accidental harm and injury.” 

Sponsored by Croner-i, the RoSPA Awards scheme is the longest-running of its kind in the UK, and receives entries from organisations across the globe, making it one of the most sought-after achievement awards for the health and safety industry.  

For more information about the RoSPA Awards and to view other category winners visit the website here.