Propelling donation
05/04/2007
Water workers have propelled health and safety at work to new heights while helping to save lives.
Staff from Northumbrian Water’s leisure sites across the region, including fisheries, has helped to donate £2968 to the Great North Air Ambulance through the company’s Care for Safety Challenge.
The challenge encourages employees throughout the water company’s supply area, from Berwick down to North Yorkshire and across to the Pennines, to think about health and safety in every aspect of their job and to be proactive in improving the safety of their work environment.
Donations to charities, which operate in Northumbrian Water’s supply area, are triggered when employees report and address health and safety issues and concerns, report all accidents and near misses, complete good quality accident/incident reports and return to work promptly after an accident.
The Great North Air Ambulance Service operate three helicopters, which are based in Northumberland, Teesside and Penrith and deals with around 600 calls every year transporting critically ill and injured patients. It costs £1.2 million to operate each helicopter.
The charity’s Fundraising Manager, Brian Cave, said: “We rely solely on donations and are extremely grateful for the support from companies like Northumbrian Water and the involvement of their staff. On behalf of all the unfortunate people who will have the need for an air ambulance in the future, we would like to say thank you.
Northumbrian Water’s Dean Lawson said: “It is very satisfying to know we have contributed to such a worthwhile cause which any one of us could need in the future. Giving this money to the Great North Air Ambulance clearly demonstrates the link between improved safety performance and the positive impact it has on local communities.
“Since Northumbrian Water began the Care for Safety Challenge in 2004, £128,000 has been donated to North East charities and awareness of health and safety at work has most certainly been raised among our 1847 employees.”