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Michael Clapham, Labour MP for Barnsley West and Penistone and the current chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health, received the prestigious Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)/Sypol Lifetime Achievement Award at IOSH's annual dinner and awards, which were held on 14th November at the Alton Towers Hotel, Staffordshire. Michael has spent much of his political career campaigning to improve safety in UK workplaces.
Ray Hurst, IOSH’s President, said: “Michael has been a peerless political campaigner for the rights of people to work in safe and healthy environments. It’s because of his years of effort that many of his parliamentary colleagues at the highest level are now aware of the importance of health and safety in the workplace. I hope Michael will continue to be a passionate supporter of health and safety in the future.”
Lawrence Waterman, a past president of IOSH and Chairman of Sypol Ltd, said: "Michael has been a passionate advocate for better workplace health and safety and his tireless efforts have produced results. For example, through his parliamentary support for Putting Young Workers First, we now have the Workplace Hazard Awareness Course (WHAC) being taught in schools.“
On receiving the award, Mr Clapham said: “I am proud to accept this award as I feel very strongly about the right of people to work in a safe environment. Through my experience working in a coal mine and representing those working in this dangerous environment, I appreciate the impact of needless workplace deaths or injury on the victim’s family.”
He added: “This is in addition to an understanding of the suffering caused by debilitating occupational injuries or severe health problems that have been acquired through work.” “Although tremendous progress has been made in improving workplace health and safety there is still much to be done. Last year, the number of workplace fatalities increased from 217 to 241. While in the last decade, 66 young people have died and 14,500 teenagers have been seriously injured whilst at work.”
It was because of his concern at these figures, that Mr Clapham championed IOSH’s Putting Young Workers First campaign, putting down an Early Day Motion and asking a question of then Prime Minister Tony Blair. He was also a key supporter of WHAC, which aims to raise the awareness of Year 10 pupils of the dangers that exist on entering the workplace.
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