Proud to be safe

Delivering the gold standard for safety in the construction sector.

Every year in the UK more than 6,000 people die in accidents in the home and 2.7 million attend accident and emergency departments seeking treatment. However, because the accidents happen behind closed doors in isolated incidents, they rarely attract public and media attention.

We have formed a strong partnership with Berkeley Group, who specialise in building homes and neighbourhoods across Birmingham, London and the south of England. Berkeley Group’s core mission is to build fantastic homes, strengthen local communities and improve people's lives.

Health and safety at Berkeley is communicated with genuine passion, and has been recognised by the RoSPA Health and Safety Awards, most recently securing the rare and prestigious Diamond Award in recognition of "outstanding corporate contribution to raising safety standards across the residential building sector". In addition, in 2017 Berkeley was awarded the Sir George Earle Trophy– the top prize in the annual RoSPA Health and Safety Awards.

Our partnership

We’re working with Berkeley Group to “deliver a long-term legacy project, with home safety at its heart”. For partnership activities to fulfil their potential it is vital that they align with both Berkeley Groups’ strategic priorities (outlined in the recently published ‘Our Vision 2030’), and our National Accident Prevention Strategy (‘Safe and active at all ages’).

We’ve been extremely proud of how the partnership deliverables met stated aims:

• Reaffirming Berkeley Homes’ position as peer leaders
• Setting the gold standard for safety in the construction sector and providing a blueprint for the future
• Strengthening Berkeley Homes’ already strong community links
• Generating significant promotional coverage
• Contributing to a cycle of continuous improvement.

We continue to drive sustained and meaningful safety improvements, while showcasing Berkeley Group as exemplars and thought leaders.

Our partnership brings together the heritage, reach and reputation of both parties to create a powerful programme of activities to raise awareness, educate and influence.

Safer by design: A framework to reduce serious accidental injury in new build homes

Our homes are the most dangerous place to be, and that's particularly true for the most vulnerable - the under-5s and the over-65s, with 6,000 accidental deaths in the UK every year and many thousands more that result in life-changing injury and visits to A&E.

Berkeley Group have always had the safety of their workers at the forefront of their projects and developments. From a conversation with us about how people are more at risk of accidents in their homes than a construction site, Berkeley Group were inspired to extend that level of safety to families that would be living in the homes they were building.

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With support from Berkeley Group, Public Health England and other industry experts, The Safer by Design framework was developed by us to raise standards across the sector and ensure that the next generation of homes are safer.

Evidence-based and going beyond existing regulatory requirements, the framework offers a set of simple, practical, low-cost home safety improvements to be planned in at the design stage. Berkeley Group was the first UK developer to formally adopt the framework, establishing the blueprint for others to follow by implementing the agreed improvements, and being badged accordingly.

Since its launch at Westminster Abbey in November 2019, the framework has been praised by ministers in parliament, firmly securing Berkeley Homes’ place as leaders in their sector.

Safer Stairs Campaign

With support from Berkeley Group, MPs and a range of other organisations and political figures, RoSPA has been on a mission to improve the safety of stairs. Our journey began by calling for British Standard 5395-1 to be made part of the Building Safety Bill. We have now gained Government backing to have the standard enshrined into the Building Regulations, provided the results of the industry consultation are positive. 

Vulnerable residents: Safety advice

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Accidents disproportionately affect the very old and the very young, with accident rates that are significantly higher than the national norm; a trend that is exacerbated by socio-economic disadvantage.

Using our expert safety policy advisors, consultants and associates, dual-branded printed home safety guides were developed to provide key safety information for parents/carers of 0-4 year-olds and residents aged 65+.

Packed full of advice on preventing falls, burns and other potentially serious mishaps, the resource is free and available to download.

Safety Education Resources

Accidents to children are a significant health issue, being a major cause of preventable death, serious injury and long-term disability across the UK.

Produced via collaboration between this partnership and key players in the education sector, Safety Education Resources is digital toolkit designed to fit within the existing PSHE structure. The resources will play a vital role in plugging a gap in the provision of safety and risk education for primary-aged children, emphasising the importance of recognising their own powerful role in the spotting of hazards and avoidance of harm in the home environment.

The resources further build on this partnerships legacy, supporting both organisations’ core mission of strengthening local communities and improving people's lives.

Looking to the Future

Our charitable partnership offers a unique and powerful opportunity to deliver on shared objectives, as embodied in the projects and strategies that have been launched to date. As we look to the future, together we will continue to drive sustained and meaningful safety improvements.