What’s new this year?
The following is a summary of the changes being made this year. For full details see the relevant section below.
- New sector awards
- New innovation and development awards
- Winner merchandise
- Recognition of Five Star audit achievements at the luncheon event in November 2024.
What are the Sword and Globe of Honour awards?
These awards celebrate the best of the best in health, safety and environmental management, giving great companies the recognition that they deserve.
Each year, those that have achieved a five-star result in one of the following audits are invited to apply:
- Five Star Occupational Health and Safety Audit
- Five Star Environmental Audit
- Five Star Integrated Health, Safety and Environmental Audit
- Combined Audit.
With a direct link to the Five Star Audit report, these awards require a detailed and objective evaluation of occupational health, safety and environmental management system(s) and associated arrangements.
What is the Shield of Honour award?
Newly introduced in 2023, the Shield of Honour award is aimed specifically at Workplace Wellbeing Supporters and others, to recognise excellence in wellbeing. To be eligible for the Shield of Honour, applicants must have achieved five-stars in one of the following Being Well Together audits:
- Five Star Wellbeing Audit
- Five Star Wellbeing Supplementary Audit.
Getting the five-star audit is just the start though, like the Sword and Globe awards, applicants need to demonstrate to an independent adjudication panel that they have a proven track record and culture of best practice for excellence in wellbeing, that runs throughout the organisation, from the shop floor to the boardroom.
Workplace Wellbeing Supporters can apply free of charge to the Shield of Honour awards.
The health, safety and wellbeing event of the year
The Sword, Globe and Shield of Honour awards will culminate in the health, safety, wellbeing and environmental event of the year at the prestigious Drapers’ Hall in London on 29 November 2024. The ceremony will bring together hundreds of like-minded international leaders across sectors.
In a change to our previous format, we will this year be inviting all organisations that achieved five stars in a Five Star audit, during the qualifying period, to attend the luncheon event and be recognised. Further details will be provided in due course but there is likely to be limited availability.
The cost of the luncheon options are as follows:
Sword, Globe and Shield of Honour Luncheon individual ticket £404
Sword, Globe and Shield of Honour Luncheon package £1,652
Additional Awards
For 2024, we are running 2 new award types, with the winners announced at the Sword, Globe and Shield of Honour Luncheon on the 29 November 2024.
Innovation and Development Award
Organisations who apply for the Sword and/or Globe and/or Shield of Honour have the option to answer two further questions about an innovative project that they have adopted, describing the impact this innovation had across the business.
The questions will be marked by a panel and shortlisted organisations will be put forward for a new award that will be announced at the luncheon event in November 2024. Please note that organisations wanting to be considered for this new award are agreeing to the possibility of a self-funded site visit by a British Safety Council representative to validate the application.
More information about the Innovation and Development award can be found on the FAQ’s page.
Sector Awards
Also new for 2024 will be Sector Awards. Sector Awards will recognise overall 'best in class' submissions by industry sector under the 3 categories: health & safety, environmental management and wellbeing. These awards do not require a separate submission. This is a great way to stand out amongst peers and encourages best practice. Sector Award categories are:
- Construction and property activities
- Consultancy and advisory
- Education
- Financial, IT, legal, scientific and technical services, media
- Health and social care
- Leisure, sports clubs, hospitality and catering
- Local government, defence and public services
- Manufacturing
- Not for profit
- Oil, gas, mining and quarrying
- Onshore major hazard
- Power and utilities
- Transportation, distribution and storage
- Wholesale and retail services.
New trophies
We are conscious that organisations are recognised for winning the Sword, Globe or Shield of Honour but it is individuals who make this happen. For 2024, in recognition of this, we will have new staff trophies (designed to sit on someone’s desk) available to purchase. These new individual trophies must be purchased at the same time as a main, full-size trophy. Full details will be available shortly.
Due to popular demand, we are also looking to offer for purchase presentation cabinets for your hard-won trophies. Full details will again be available shortly.
Why Apply?
Successful Sword, Globe and Shield applicants demonstrate that they are among the 'best of the best' through the submission of a written application and achieving their Five Star audit. The awards give winners the opportunity to:
- Promote their success with the winners' trophy, logo, certificate and press coverage
- Add this achievement to tenders and corporate literature
- Showcase your commitment to excellent health, safety, wellbeing and environmental management standards
- Motivate their workforce to strive for higher standards
- Benchmark yourself against other in your field.
How to Apply?
Organisations who have achieved the top grade in their Five Star audit will receive an email from [email protected] inviting them to apply for the scheme. The Sword, Globe and Shield of Honour application can be purchased, by paying via credit card or invoice.
Key dates
11 July 2024 Award Application Open
20 August 2024 Application webinar
27 September 2024 Application submission deadline on the Learning Zone Portal for audits completed by 31 July 2024
17 October 2024 Results emailed to applicants
18 October 2024 Winners list published
25 October 2024 Result enquiry deadline
01 November 2024 Trophy and plaque orders deadline
29 November 2024 Sword, Globe and Shield of Honour Luncheon, Drapers Hall, London
Supporting resources
Eligibility
Click here to read the full eligibility criteria for the Sword, Globe and Shield of Honour awards.
Adjudication process and results
The written applications are marked by an independent panel of adjudicators appointed, trained and monitored by the British Safety Council. The adjudicators are all senior level health, safety and environmental practitioners. A rigorous standardisation process ensures that each adjudicator applies the marking scheme in exactly the same way so that all applications are marked consistently to the same standard.
Click here to view the full criteria for the adjudication process and results.
Application questions and marking criteria
Case studies/mentoring
New for 2025, we are looking to offer case studies and/or mentoring services to Sword, Globe and Shield of Honour applicants. To progress this, we are keen to hear from winning organisations that would be willing to take part in sharing how they achieved their success in the awards. Full details need to be worked out but this maybe via webinars, videos etc. An additional unmarked question has been added to the award application system in this regard.
Reports and winners list from 2023
Reports and winners list from 2022
FAQs
To understand the scheme better, you might find it useful to read our frequently asked questions - complied for you here.
Watch our video on how to allocate licences: