Highland employers celebrate healthy success
Employers from across the Highlands were named as some of Scotland’s safest, healthiest organisations at an Awards ceremony in Inverness today.
A total of sixteen organisations were presented with Healthy Working Lives Awards in recognition of their efforts to create healthier workplaces.
The Healthy Working Lives Award is only one of a range of services provided by the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives helping create healthier and more productive workplaces.
Steve Bell, Strategic Director of the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives was on hand to present the awards. He explained that the organisations involved employed a total of over 2,500 people in workforces ranging in size from as few as 12 employees to several hundred.
He said: “Employers at the award ceremony reflected a broad cross section of the employer base in the Highlands including public, private and third sector organisations.
“I’d like to congratulate these employers on their achievement of the Award, which demonstrates that they have made safe and healthy working practices a key priority. They join more than 500 organisations that have received a Healthy Working Lives Award to date.
“I am always delighted to learn the different benefits that individuals and organisations gain on their journey through the Award. I am particularly pleased that 9 out of 10 organisations are reporting business benefits, these can include increased employee satisfaction right through to improved sales or productivity.”
Dr Margaret Somerville, Director of Public Health for NHS Highland, echoed the congratulations for these employers and was keen to explain that many others were following their lead.
She said: “There are almost a hundred organisations actively engaged with the Healthy Working Lives Award in Highland to date.”
Dr Somerville explained that other services available through Healthy Working Lives include a free and confidential Occupational Health & Safety advisory service, a range of free training & awareness sessions as well as support and advice on all aspects of Health, Safety and staff wellbeing tailored to the customers needs by a local adviser.
She said: “There are also many other employers and many small to medium enterprises in particular that have been able to access the wide range of support available through their Healthy Working Lives adviser without having to pursue the award. More than 250 Highlands employers have benefited from the free advice, training or other support on offer over the past year and we are keen to build on this.”
All of these services can be accessed free of charge through the Healthy Working Lives Advice line on 0800 019 2211 or on the website www.healthyworkinglives.com
The organisations receiving awards are –
Birchwood Highland – Gold and Mental Health Commendation Award; Aquascot – Gold; Lifescan – Gold; Lochaber House Association Ltd – Gold; HIE, Lochaber, Skye and Wester Ross, Fort William Area Office – Gold.
The Highland Council – Silver; Apex Scotland, Inverness Office – Silver.
Centre for Health Science – Bronze; Homestart MAJIK – Bronze; MacRae & Dick Ltd – Bronze; Nairn, Town & County Hospital – Bronze; Northern Constabulary, Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey Division – Bronze; RNI Hospital – Bronze; Sabhal Mor Ostaig – Bronze; Technip UK Ltd – Bronze; NHS Victoria Integrated Care Centre – Bronze.