A seminar, run by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) and the BuildHealth Steering Committee, has taken place at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown.

The aim of the seminar was to provide essential information on a range of health risks in the construction industry.

Keynote speaker, Marianne Dyer, Medical Director of Duradiamond Healthcare, spoke to the delegates about the approaches to organising occupational health services at the Olympic site, saying: "The occupational health provision at the Olympic site showed to contractors working on the site that the management of health risks could be readily incorporated into their existing safety systems and reinforced the benefits of worker engagement and senior leadership. Overall a site-based service was shown to have substantial economic benefit as well as a legacy of improved health knowledge and wellbeing for the workers involved."

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Also speaking at the event, George Lucas, HSENI Chairman, said: "The success of the London Olympics and Para Olympics has been mirrored by the success of the innovative approach to managing the health of those who constructed the Olympic Park. As Dr Dyer has shown, the lives of those workers involved in the construction phase were protected, and even improved, through inclusive health provision. This project highlighted the significant health needs that exist in the construction sector and clearly demonstrated the potential to improve health and wellbeing while at the same time managing to reduce costs."

Attendees were also guided through the new BuildHealth website, heard about the benefits of health risk management in the Guildhall project as well as smaller projects and received information on the Control of Asbestos Regulations (NI) 2012.

The meeting concluded with the’ signing up’ of six new BuildHealth champions and the awarding of the first subcontractors prizes which recognises exemplary performance in health risk management.

(GK)