January 2021 – Unipart Rail has won a prestigious Sword of Honour from the British Safety Council.
The company which has eight sites across the UK was one of 61 organisations worldwide that achieved a Sword of Honour, which is awarded to companies which have demonstrated excellence in the management of health and safety risks at work.
In order to compete for the Sword of Honour, an organisation first had to achieve the maximum five stars in the British Safety Council’s health and safety management audit scheme in the period August 2019 – November 2020 (due to the Covid pandemic, the timeframe was extended this year to show more flexibility in working with British Safety Council clients globally during these unprecedented times). Unipart Rail also had to demonstrate to an independent panel of experts it has achieved excellence in health and safety throughout the business – from the shop floor to the boardroom.
Lawrence Waterman, Chairman of the British Safety Council, said: “On behalf of the board of trustees and staff of the British Safety Council I would like to congratulate Unipart Rail on achieving the topmost standards of health, safety and environmental management. Accomplishing such distinction takes real commitment and professionalism. We are delighted to have supported you in your achievements in what has been an unprecedented year given the Covid pandemic.”
Mike Robinson, Chief Executive of the British Safety Council, added: “I would like to congratulate Unipart Rail and its staff for their steadfast dedication to keeping their workplace safe and healthy and/or minimising risks to the environment from their organisations’ day-to-day activities. This year presented an additional and significant challenge in the form of Covid-19 and I pay tribute to Unipart Rail for its hard work and commitment through these challenging circumstances.
“All of the Sword and Globe winning organisations share a commitment and resolve to achieve the uppermost standards of health, safety and environmental management. We are delighted they are partners in helping achieve our vision that no-one should be injured or made ill through their work.”
Liz Hancock, Unipart Rail Head of Safety, Health and Environment said “This is a great end to a year in which we achieved the British Safety Council Five Star certification for our Health and Safety achievements, and we are thrilled to have achieved this Sword to accompany our previous Sword awards. It reflects the hard work we do every day to keep our colleagues safe at work.”
Unipart Logistics also won a Sword of Honour, taking Unipart Group’s combined total ‘Swords’ to nearly 60 since 2011, more than any other organisation in its sectors.