In a significant celebration of achievements within the workplace health and safety sphere, the 2024 Health & Safety Awards have announced this year’s acclaimed winners and finalists. Organized by Business Awards UK and held in Halifax, this year’s ceremony highlighted exceptional organisations and individuals who have made substantial contributions towards enhancing safety standards across various sectors.

The awards, known for recognising pioneers in health and safety, cover a broad range of categories from technology and risk management to occupational health and mental wellbeing. This year, notably, Hugh Wilkins was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award in Health and Safety, underscoring his enduring commitment and impactful contributions to the field.

A diverse group of winners across specialised categories included The Lifeways Group, awarded for Excellence in Risk Assessment and Management, and Safepoint, which clinched the Health and Safety Technology Innovation award. These accolades underscore a common theme of innovation and the adoption of new technologies to ensure safety protocols not only comply with current standards but set new benchmarks for best practices.

Small and family-run businesses were not left out, with Proud2bSafe receiving the Best Family Business award, and Bowen Safety taking home the Small Business Health and Safety Award, highlighting that vital safety practices are integral across all sizes of enterprises.

The awards also shone a spotlight on mental health in the workplace – an increasingly critical area of employee wellbeing. Ripples Wellbeing was recognised for their Occupational Mental Health and Wellbeing Programme, reflecting a growing industry focus on holistic health approaches within occupational settings.

In a field such as health and safety, where regulatory compliance is often the minimum requirement, these awards emphasise the importance of going beyond the basics to create safer and more supportive work environments.

The ceremony also celebrated the important strides in sector-specific safety, with Ambutech Pre-Hospital Care scooping the Healthcare Safety Award and Greenlink Interconnector being named Workplace Safety Initiative of the Year. These distinctions underline the importance of industry-specific innovations that address unique challenges and risks associated with different work environments.

These recognitions are critical as they not only commend efforts but also set a benchmark for other companies and practitioners in the health and safety realm. They shine a light on best practices and encourage a culture of safety that transcends mere compliance, moving towards proactive, preventative safety management.

Moreover, looking at the wider impact, enhancing health and safety standards has been shown to significantly reduce workplace accidents and illnesses, therein improving productivity and employee morale. This ripple effect of cultivating high safety standards echoes across industries, contributing to overall societal wellbeing.

As the winners of the 2024 Health & Safety Awards continue to innovate and lead by example, their achievements beckon a future where workplace safety is integral to business success and employee satisfaction. The shared knowledge and practices celebrated by these awards inspire ongoing leadership and creativity in managing health and safety, aiming to sustain and enhance safe working environments for all employees.