The UK plans to participate in the European Week for Safety and Health, which begins on Oct. 15. As part of that week, one chain of London theaters is planning a new kind of standing ovation, one that could save lives in an emergency.
The Ambassador Theatre Group is planning an exercise involving the mass evacuation of nine West End theaters as part of a campaign to mark European Week for Safety and Health. The theaters will ask patrons and employees to carry out timed evacuations after each performance during the week.
Thousands of organizations throughout the UK plan take part in the European Week for Safety and Health. This year, the week focuses on the prevention of workplace accidents. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the main organizers of the event in the UK, has received a record-breaking 100,000 requests for action packs - almost double last year''s figure.
HSE is involved with a number of events including the nationwide launch of new guidelines aimed at schoolchildren about safety in cemeteries. The national 2001 Working Well Together construction safety campaign climaxes during the week with the Working Well Together 4C Construction Awards dinner in London on Oct. 17. HSE is holding a conference focusing on safety in the construction industry during the week as well. The conference is part of the Safety, Health and Environment Solutions event at London''s ExCel Docklands Centre from Oct. 16-18.
Last year''s European Week for Safety and Health involved 7,000 UK organizations and employers, with its message reaching over 4 million people.
Independent research conducted by a group called Yellow Windows reveals that the UK leads the way when it comes to this Europe-wide initiative.
"The situation in the UK is exceptional in comparison with other countries," noted researchers fromYellow Windows. "We estimate that more than half of the total impact of the (safety) week in terms of awareness raising was in the UK and less than half in the rest of the EU."
by Sandy Smith
