As part of the Health & Safety Executive’s European Safety Week, Canary Wharf will be hosting a week of activities designed to educate and inform about dangerous substances. Activities will run for the week commencing 13th October and will include a series of seminars that are free for employees, tenants, contractors and visitors to the estate.

This is the 5th year that Canary Wharf Group (CWG) has taken part in the European Week. Last year the company was presented with the ‘Winner of Winners’ award for its campaign to highlight workplace stress by the Health & Safety Executive. CWG came top out of the thousands of organisations to take part.

This year an information stand will be located at Cabot Place where details will be available of the various events on offer. The seminars taking place look at a range of subjects such as Communicable Disease, Dispelling Workplace Myths, Hazardous Substances, Asbestos, Legionnaires Disease, Construction Dust and Occupational Asthma. There will even be a seminar on Chemicals at Home given by Green Peace. Various national agencies have become involved with Safety Week at Canary Wharf with organisations such as The Metropolitan Police, The Environmental Agency and Royal Brompton Hospital leading seminars. There will also be a safety awareness day held at BP1 on 14th October as part of safety Week. Hilti, the power tool contractor on site, will be presenting a seminar and workshop for CWCL employees and CWML trade contractors.

About 6,000 people die from cancer due to occupational causes. This includes 3,000 deaths per year as a result of past exposure to asbestos.

66,000 people suffer from new or existing skin disease caused by work - around two thirds have dermatitis or eczema. There are an estimated 1,500 to 3,000 new cases of occupational asthma each year.

Graham Moon, CWG’s Fire & Life Safety Manager, said,
“ Health & Safety can sometimes be taken for granted in the workplace, with this annual week of events held at Canary Wharf we will be bringing people’s attention to a wide range of information aimed at improving the safety and welfare of ourselves and our colleagues. Last year’s event was a huge success, especially being nationally acclaimed; we intend to live up to the precedent we have set ourselves and make 2003 even better.”

Seminars last for approximately an hour and space is limited so book early to avoid disappointment by emailing Sonja.Haapalainen@canarywharf.com or call 020 7418 2706.