Olympic tenderers must prove safety case

Contractors hoping to win work for London’s 2012 Olypmics will have to prove they are “walking the talk” on health and safety and have excellent leadership on both issues.

According to Lawrence Waterman, whose appointment as head of health and safety for the Olympic Delivery Authority is announced today (Wednesday), health and safety will be vital issues for tendering firms.

Speaking exclusively to CJ, Waterman said all potential suppliers will be asked about their commitment to health and safety, and will need to provide evidence of their leadership on this issue. “It will be no use giving the name of a health and safety advisor – we would expect the chief executive to be taking responsibility for health and safety. Does that person exhibit leadership and commitment to health and safety? That is the most fundamental requirement.”

Proving that you have a systematic approach will also help bidders, Waterman said. “We could ask companies how many health and safety prosecutions they had, but I would rather know what steps that firm had taken to change things to stop it happening again. Our procurement process will ask about evidence of change. We want to work with firms that have an appetite for improvement – this project will be challenging and we are depending on our suppliers to deliver it.”

■ For more, see pages 22-23 of this week's CJ.