The Health & Safety team of Shetland Tall Ships Limited (STSL) has been highly commended in an Institution of Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH) awards ceremony in Dundee last week (Thursday 9 November).
The Tall Ships Health & Safety team was short-listed for Scotland’s Team of the Year by IOSH and was delighted to be the only Highly Commended candidate in the award category. Jessie Szego of Malakoff Limited, the HSE Manager for Lerwick’s Tall Ships Races event, collected the prize.
The award recognises the fundamental part the team played in safe organisation and delivery of the major Tall Ships event and subsequent benefits for other events in Shetland.
Malakoff Limited were generous sponsors in providing the event’s Health & Safety requirements through Jessie’s leadership and the strong partnership created with Emma Miller as STSL Project Manager. The remainder of the core health & safety team consisted of Derek Hendry (STSL Technical and Infrastructure Manager), Leah Cumming (Malakoff), and Stuart Wadley (Lerwick Port Authority). The team also worked closely with other stakeholders and contractors engaged in the event, including the emergency services and the Shetland Islands Council.
The various plans created were bespoke to the event but already there have been transferrable skills and knowledge shared with other events.
Malcolm Bell, Chair of Shetland Tall Ships Limited, said “This award is well deserved by the team. It was a significant amount of work with the regulatory framework around Health & Safety becoming ever more stringent. It is good that there is a legacy of event experience gained through hosting the Tall Ships Races which may help sustain other community events in future”.
Health and Safety Manager, Jessie Szego added “We worked well as a team together throughout this event, developing new Event and Emergency Plans. This was the largest event seen in Shetland for many years and it was important to have the cooperation and input from all those involved; resulting in a successful, safe and enjoyable event.”