A number of members from the Olympic Park workforce have been recognised for their efforts to make the project one of the safest and greenest in the UK.
They were honoured at the Olympic Delivery Authority Awards, which are coordinated by the British Safety Council. The awards recognise the health, safety and environmental performance and contribution of teams and individuals working across the Park.
Alan O’Hagan, a carpenter working on the Olympic Park’s south loop road and bridges, won Worker of the Year award. The judges praised Alan’s attitude, aptitude, enthusiasm and sense of responsibility.
Alan said: ““I’m absolutely delighted to have won the Worker of the Year Award. Although this is an individual award, it’s been a real team effort and I’d like to thank all my colleagues who pull together to make this a safe project.”
Other winners included:
• Kerri Chambers – Apprentice of the year
• Richard Hirst – Individual contribution to the environment
• Contractors working on the construction of the southern loop roads and bridges were received the workforce engagement award.
Olympic Delivery Authority head of health and safety, Lawrence Waterman, said: “Our record on health, safety and environment is down to the hard work, dedication and professionalism of the thousands of people who work on the site.
“As we enter our busiest year on site, we are not complacent. We will continue to work with our contractors, sub-contractors and workforce to make the Olympic Park the healthiest, safest and greenest construction site in the country.”
Minister for Sport and the Olympics, Hugh Robertson, added: “It is a credit to the workers that as the construction phase intensifies creating a healthy, safe and environmentally friendly work place is still a top priority. Their hard work and dedication has helped ensure that the ODA’s safety record remains second to none.”
The ODA has also launched an online health and safety resource for schools across the UK. The film ‘safe’ has been adapted from the ODA programme, which involved interactive theatre performance to raise awareness of safety around construction sites. It toured into 75 schools close to the London 2012 construction sites, engaging more than 6,800 children and young people.
