London 2012 – Faster, higher, stronger

The London 2012 ‘Big Build’ has come to an end, with the construction project widely acknowledged as the safest ever in the history of the Olympic Games. That achievement is, in no small part, due to the commitment and contribution of the many health and safety professionals who worked on the project. Here, they tell SHP what it has meant for them, their career, and the future of health and safety in the UK.

Lawrence Waterman MSc CFIOSH MFOH FRSA – Head of health and safety, Olympic Delivery Authority
The statistics for the London 2012 Construction Programme are eye-watering: at its peak, it engaged more than 12,000 workers; it has included Europe’s largest construction site, and Europe’s largest housing project; and more than 100,000 workers have had health checks.

Although there is still much to do, the £7bn works are now largely complete – the ‘Big Build’ finished at the end of July. What is happening now is a transfer of the venues, the Olympic Park, and much else to LOCOG to finalise its arrangements for next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The extraordinary health and safety performance of the project has been well documented, and there is no doubt that it has contributed significantly to the completion of the work on time and on budget. The approach adopted by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) was designed to encourage every Tier 1 contractor to make a significant contribution to performance, by treating each with respect as managers of their own projects and controllers of their allocated sites – in other words, this wasn’t ‘ODA command and control’ but the forging of partnerships across the programme.

That is why every project had an HS&E Project Leadership Team, and why, across the programme, there was a Safety, Health and Environment Leadership Team (SHELT), on which I represented the ODA and which was attended by every project director from the supply chain. This approach to partnership and leadership was backed by a vigorous worker-engagement strategy that saw reward and recognition, near-miss reporting, daily activity briefings, supervisor communication and leadership training, behavioural programmes, and much more, on every project. 

Throughout all of this, a dedicated team of safety and health practitioners provided sterling support for their managers and projects. Professionals working for some of the biggest contractors in the world were based on the Olympic Park, or in the Athletes Village, and their advice was acted upon. That is why the accident rate on the works was historically low; why the first Olympic stadium to be constructed without a fatality sits in east London; and why ill-health prevention was treated as seriously as reducing accidents and injuries.

Since 2005, when site investigation and tunnelling began, to the fit-out of some of the most exciting sporting venues and the landscaping of a fine legacy for the UK, safety practitioners and occupational hygienists have focused relentlessly on preventing harm and enhancing well-being. The people on these pages, and their colleagues, made clear the arguments that:

• good health and safety is the mark of good construction;
• you can build without hurting people; and
• spending on occupational health is an investment not a cost.

This group of professionals has helped raise the bar for UK construction, and for health and safety generally. Already they have won awards, but the best achievement of all is the true legacy from London 2012, of which everyone in health and safety can be proud.

Clinton Horn – project health and safety advisor
For me, working on the London 2012 Olympic Park has demonstrated what can be achieved when the focus is not merely on legislative compliance but very much on setting best practice as the minimum standard for compliance. The fact that the accident frequency rate has defied all statistical analysis is true testament to the committed and visible leadership, effective communication and engagement among all contractors involved, and the very high standards that were set and enforced from the very outset. I believe that the London 2012 Olympic build has set the benchmark by which all future Olympic builds will be measured in terms of occupational health, safety and environmental performance.

Henry Ogbenna CMIOSH – assistant health and safety manager, logistics
The best and safest project by all standards – world-class professionals and colleagues, and a fantastic working environment that makes you look forward to going to work every day.

James Barnes – consultant, occupational health and hygiene team
Working closely alongside other contractors on the Olympic Park has enabled us to share best occupational-health practice effectively. By doing this, we have helped create an important legacy in terms of risk management.

Andries J Van Wyk – ISG South HSQ&E advisor
For me, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a part of such an amazing world-class project. It was an honour to work alongside such skilled and motivated individuals who really wanted to make a difference in our field of occupational health and safety practice. The word ‘team’ was evident on a daily basis, and I feel that is what made the entire project a success. The efforts of everybody involved can already be noticed on projects not relating to the Olympic Park and will hopefully remain common practice throughout our industry.

Natalie Curtis – HSEQ advisor
Having been a part of the London 2012 project for more than two years I’m proud to be a part of a committed HSQE team.

Mark Snape – CLM park operations, asset protection
London 2012 – a project where health and safety really does come first.

Melodie Gilbert – head of ill-health prevention, Park Health
One of the best things about working on this project has been the positive attitude that the client has had towards occupational-health management, and how this has set the scene for the rest of the contractors on site. Being able to progress occupational-health management as a natural part of overall H&S management has contributed to the knowledge of OH in construction and to the legacy of the project.

John Winter – health and safety manager, logistics
The fantastic effort put in by so many to ensure people have a safe working environment and work safely is reflected by a truly world-class safety record.

Stuart Robertson – safety advisor
The greatest challenge was breaking down the barriers between the Tier 1 contractors – health and safety was led by the leadership team, supported by its enabling departments.

Danny Gilham – senior health and safety advisor
The Olympic legacy has raised awareness and ownership of health, safety and the environment within the place of work.

Carole Bardell – HSE&Q manager
It has been a fantastic challenge and great privilege to work on such an incredible venue as the Aquatics Centre. The leadership commitment to Zero Harm on the project has been inspirational. I am really looking forward to the Games in 2012.

Debbie Clements
The opportunity to be a part of London 2012 was one I willingly accepted. Being the client’s representative and heading up the Assurance team could have put me out on a limb. However, at all times I received the full support of Lawrence and Ros Seal, which enabled professional and personal satisfaction. Of course, guiding the supply chain was lumpy at times, but my lasting memory is one of collaboration and cooperation and feeling incredibly proud. But not pride in a selfish way – pride because resistance was thin and the appetite to truly reach and exceed expectations was real. The entire supply chain wanted to make a difference and create a positive legacy for the Games and the wider construction sector.

Kirk Robinson – health and safety manager
It’s refreshing to see so many principal contractors working together towards a common goal, and sharing good practice and ideas. There is also a culture of total transparency, where accidents, incidents and near-misses are freely discussed in open forum, with solutions being shared with everyone. This project will hopefully be instrumental in raising the bar for some of the less enlightened contractors in the wider industry to improve their HS&E culture.

Philip Price MSc CMIOSH MCMI MIIRSM – SQE manager
Challenging sometimes, but very rewarding. Standards have been raised so much on this project that the company has applied many of them to the rest of its business.

Bill Brewer – IBC
If all sites were like this we, as safety professionals, would be out of a job!

Terry Clare – H&S manager
Working as a health and safety professional on the London 2012 Aquatics Centre has been a joy when compared with other projects. The Balfour Beatty H&S team, led by Carole Bardell, has run a very well-organised site, which has made my job a lot easier and our operatives more appreciative of the effort and the safe systems that have been put in place to ensure that they go home from work each night.

Michael Murray CMIOSH – H&S manager, Team Stadium
From the start, I knew this was an exciting opportunity to show the construction industry what a team approach to health and safety can achieve, and I am proud to say that we have achieved this right across the Olympic Park.

Steve White – head of HSEQ, major infrastructure
This is the best project that I have worked on, with high standards driven by a combination of great leadership and excellent communication with the workforce.

Paul Bidecant CMIOSH – Senior H&S manager, Galliford Try plc
For all safety professionals on the Athletes Village these have been exciting times, as we have all seen the bar and standards raised in construction health and safety. If we can all take the advances and lessons we have learnt from each other and use them as a minimum standard for the future the construction industry will be leading the way in health and safety management.

Baryy Gibbons CMIOSH – HS&E advisor
Having worked on other high-profile projects, such as the Heathrow Terminal 4 extension and Wembley Stadium, I feel proud to have also been involved in the London 2012 project.

Steve Taylor DipRSA DipM EngTech MInstRE MIIRSM Grad IOSH – senior SQE advisor
It was a pleasure and a challenge.

Jude Onavwie – trainee health and safety advisor
It’s a huge privilege to be involved in this project. Being trained here is like being trained in the very best environment ever, and I can’t imagine a better opportunity anywhere else in the world. I am happy and grateful to be part of the London 2012 Olympics – love it!

Danny Hine CMIOSH
This project really did involve everyone in the incident and injury-free culture.

Philip Roche CMIOSH – H&S manager, Ardmore, Athletes Village
Being involved has presented a rare opportunity to be part of creating a new benchmark for construction health and safety standards through positive engagement at all levels.

Paul Popescu
I am proud to be involved in the Athletes Village project. Keeping people safe and making sure all workers go home safely to their families is, for me, the biggest achievement of all. When the Games start next year I will be closely watching and supporting Great Britain and Romania.

Vince Flood TechIOSH AIEMA AIFL AIIRSM
The Olympic site is a momentous, history-making project – and it was also the only way I could participate in the Olympics!

Ian Pattison – health and safety professional
Our vision for the London 2012 programme was to inspire change and leave a lasting legacy. I am pleased that I have played a very small part in achieving this for health and safety.

Sean Rath CMIOSH
The construction of the Olympic Park has shown that if safety is the number-one priority for the client then it will produce an outstanding safety record.

Shahid Ayub – CDM-C integrator
I’ve been spoiled by this project. I was given the script and went in to read it, realising that this was a powerful story and one that the world would talk about for many years to come.

Ros Seal – Health and safety advisor
In the last four and a half years, every day has been different. From challenges to celebrations, working for London 2012 has been amazing. I intend to take the wealth of experience I have been fortunate to gain to my next role. We are all part of the legacy.

David Brewer DGSA MISE Affiliate member IOSH – health and safety advisor
A safe working environment is a right, not a privilege!

Brian Pugsley
Being honest about who I am has helped me encourage our workforce to work safely, even when no one is looking!

Arthur Lander
They say hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?

David Wrench CMIOSH – head of health and safety assurance, Athletes Village
I have found working on the Athletes Village to be a great challenge and I feel we have really pushed the boundaries of construction health and safety to deliver the project ‘incident and injury-free’.

Team HSE
Monica Babb – venue inspector, Aquatics Centre
Sarah Snelling – venue inspector, Stadium
Rowena Shepherd – venue inspector, Energy Centre
Nigel Evans – venue inspector, Stadium
Lisa Chappell – venue inspector, Aquatics Centre