Achievements In HSE Management Of The Siemens Prysmian Western HVDC Link Consortium Recognized By This Award

Milan, 7 December 2015. – The Consortium of Prysmian and Siemens, currently constructing the Western HVDC Link project, as per the contract awarded by a Joint Venture of power transmission operators National Grid and Scottish Power Transmission in February 2012, have received the “Sword of Honour” award from the British Safety Council (BSC) on the occasion of the prestigious Sword and Globe of Honour Luncheon at Drapers’ Hall in the city of London on Friday 27 November 2015.

The British Safety Council Sword of Honour represents the pinnacle of achievement in the world of health and safety management and recognises commitment to excellent health and safety management standards. Only business sites that have achieved a five star outcome following the BSC’s Five Star Occupational Health and Safety Audit, are invited to apply for a Sword of Honour award. Applications are adjudicated by an independent panel of chartered health and safety professionals.

The 2015 Sword of Honour scheme was open to specific business units and sites that achieved a five star outcome – the highest score – in the Five Star Occupational Health and Safety Audit between 1 August 2014 and 31 July 2015. The audit, carried out by BSC, measured performance against key safety management indicators, identified areas of positive/negative practice and provided a structured approach for continuous improvement. The audit specification model included two important safety management indicators which are continually assessed throughout the audit process: leadership and commitment at all levels of the organization, and the continuous improvement.

There was also emphasis on the organisation’s approach to occupational health, employee wellbeing, safety culture, allocation of resources to health and safety and planning for change, all of which are considered as important best practice factors.

According to Claudia Castiglione, HSE Director PowerLink, “The Sword of Honour award is a remarkable acknowledgment in Health, Safety and Environmental management. We are proud to receive such a valuable award and we would like to dedicate it to all of the people working hard for the implementation of this highly strategic project: managers and professionals involved in health and safety management, operators working in the construction sites, sub-contractors and, last but not least, our project management team. Workers’ health and safety is of paramount importance as well as the absence of accidents on our construction sites over the past two years. This award is a clear sign that we are on the right track to pursue excellence also as far as this important topic is concerned.”

The Western Link, a £1 billion joint venture between National Grid and Scottish Power Transmission, is a 420-kilometre high voltage direct current submarine link between Hunterston in Scotland and Deeside in Wales. The link will allow new sources of renewable energy to connect into the existing national grid by bypassing existing bottlenecks, and will transmit up to 2,200 MW of electricity, sufficient to meet the needs of around two million people.