G4S Africa business units have been awarded the prestigious British Safety Council International Safety Award with Merit: Botswana, DRC, Ghana, Madagascar, Morocco, Namibia, G4S Correctional Services (Bloemfontein), SA Secure Solutions (South Africa), Uganda and Zambia.

G4S is the only private security company in Africa that has ever been awarded the British Safety Council International Safety Award, which is a tremendous achievement.

What does this mean?

This award demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to the health, safety and wellbeing of their workforce during 2014. Crucial to the British Safety Council International Safety Award is that participating companies must meet stringent eligibility conditions (including no work related fatalities, serious injuries or pending criminal investigations or prosecution) and must complete an exhaustive assessment to obtain an award.

To further reinforce the validity of the process, answers and the supporting documentation given to the British Safety Council was verified by an independent panel of judges to confirm our outstanding safety programme and earned us a coveted spot among a select group of award winners.

The British Safety Council assessed our safety management system on the following criteria:

• Safety Strategy and Objectives
• Management Commitment
• Risk Assessment
• Inspections and Auditing
• Implementation and Monitoring of Control Measures
• Safety Training Programmes
• Consultation and Engagement on Safety Matters
• Safety Information and Communication
• Emergency Preparedness
• Health, Safety and Welfare programmes

The participant performance is scored out of a possible 60 points to determine a Grade. Grade boundaries for the awards are as follows:

• Pass 36 – 47
• Merit 48 – 59
• Distinction 60

Consequently, Merit Award winners can rightfully claim to have clearly demonstrated their commitment to the health, safety and wellbeing of their workforce.

Certificates will be presented at the International Safety Awards Gala Dinner in London on Friday 24 April 2015.

What is the British Safety Council?

The British Safety Council, founded in 1957 by James Tye, whose efforts led directly to the development of the ground-breaking 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act as well as to the introduction of car seat belts, has been credited as  having played a major role in making UK workplaces a safer place to work.

The Council is one of the world's leading Health and Safety organisations alongside the likes of Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM). However unlike these organisations, the Council's members are mostly companies. Safety Practitioners in over 50 countries use the services and training they provide.

Going forward

As an Award winner, the business unit can proudly wear the exclusive Winner’s Logo for a year. The Winner’s logo is not only a recognisable symbol of our excellent safety management programme over the past 12 months, but also of our commitment to continually improving our safety performance and providing a healthy and safe environment for all employees, contractors, customers and members of the public.  So please share this fantastic news through presentations, client discussions and in bid documents.

Who else achieved certification?

Several global companies, some of whom form part of our customer base, also took part in the awards.  They include amongst others BAE, Baker Hughes, Boeing Defence, Fluor, GlaxoSmithKline and Kuwait Oil Company.