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.
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Notes to editors
Contact: Alistair Drummond, Group communications manager
Tel: 01865 383068, email: alistair.drummond@unipart.com
About Unipart Rail
Unipart Rail is the leading specialist provider of technology and supply chain solutions to the rail industry. With a growing international presence and extensive expertise in infrastructure, signalling and traction and rolling stock products, Unipart Rail is a major partner to the rail industry.
Unipart Rail is part of the multinational Unipart Group, with headquarters in the United Kingdom and operations in more than 100 countries.
Unipart Rail companies also include:
- Unipart Dorman – LED signalling and indication innovators and manufacturers
- Park Signalling – signalling design and consultancy specialists
- Instrumentel – remote condition monitoring specialists for high performance engines and rail applications
- Key Fasteners – vending and software solutions to supply and track fasteners from the manufacturer to the train
- Samuel James Engineering – suppliers of LV switchgear and control gear systems for the Rail Industry
- Westcode – a UK and US company with an extensive range of air supply equipment.
About Unipart Group
The Unipart Group employs thousands of personnel worldwide and has an annual turnover of approximately £750 million. It is one of Europe’s leading logistics companies and a widely-recognised pioneer in the field of Lean implementation.
Unipart Group is a leading UK manufacturer, full service logistics provider and consultant in operational excellence. Operating across a range of market sectors, including automotive, manufacturing, mobile telecoms, rail, retail and technology, Unipart offers a breadth of services from third party logistics to expert consultancy.
The company, which has its headquarters in Oxford, provides services to a growing range of blue chip clients including Jaguar Land Rover, Vodafone, Sky, Sainsburys and many other household names.
All Unipart sites operate according to the Group’s proprietary version of Lean known as The Unipart Way. This is a philosophy of working underpinned by tools and techniques that inspires efficiency, flexibility and outstanding customer service in any process.
Unipart also offers expert consultancy in implementing Lean principles and in supply chain management across a variety of industry sectors.
About the awards
The 2020 awards mark the 41st consecutive year in which the British Safety Council has awarded the Sword of Honour for health and safety management excellence and the eighth year of awarding the Globe of Honour for excellence in environmental management.
The winners achieved the maximum five stars in the British Safety Council’s independent Five Star health and safety and/or environmental management audits in the period 1 August 2019 – 31 July 2020. They also demonstrated to an independent adjudication panel that they had a proven track record and culture of best practice for excellence in health and safety or environmental management that runs throughout the business, from the shop floor to the boardroom.
Photographic requests
Images of the Sword and Globe of Honour awards and 2019’s awards presentation luncheon are available from: damian.testa@britsafe.org. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will not be holding an awards ceremony for the 2020 awards.
About the British Safety Council
The British Safety Council believes that no-one should be injured or made ill at work.
Since its foundation in 1957, the British Safety Council has campaigned tirelessly to protect workers from accidents, hazards and unsafe conditions, and played a decisive role in the political process that has led to the adoption of landmark health and safety legislation in the UK. Its members in more than 60 countries are committed to protecting and improving the wellbeing of workers, believing that a healthy and safe work environment is also good for business.
As part of its charitable work, the British Safety Council leads health and safety networking forums for all sectors and promotes best practice in Britain and overseas. It also offers a range of services and products, including training, qualifications, audits, awards and publications. The British Safety Council works closely with organisations, charities and individuals who share its vision of ensuring that every worker goes home at the end of the day as healthy as they were when they went to work.
We would be grateful if you could use British Safety Council in full rather than abbreviating to BSC when quoting our organisation.
British Safety Council’s networks:
Website: www.britsafe.org
Twitter: www.twitter.com/britsafe
Facebook: www.facebook.com/britishsafetycouncil
YouTube: www.youtube.com/britishsafetycouncil
LinkedIn group: www.linkedin.com/company/british-safety-council
Safety Management: https://sm.britsafe.org
British Safety Council Media enquiries
Damian Testa,
Head of Policy & Communications
British Safety Council
M +44 (0) 7917 559042
Email: damian.testa@britsafe.org
About Unipart Group
Unipart Group is a leading UK manufacturer, full-service logistics provider, and consultant in operational excellence. Operating across a range of market sectors, including automotive, manufacturing, mobile telecoms, rail, retail and technology, Unipart offers a breadth of services from third-party logistics to expert consultancy. The company, which has its headquarters in Oxford, provides services to a growing range of blue-chip clients including Jaguar Land Rover, Vodafone, Sky, and many other household names.
