Healthcare priority for 2012 workforce

Duradiamond Health Management Consortium has been chosen to help develop and implement an industry-leading occupational health programme for the thousands of workers who will be employed to build the venues and infrastructure of the Olympic Park.

The winning consortium is made up of Health Management Ltd and Duradiamond Healthcare Ltd who provide occupational healthcare for BAA and whose work on Heathrow Terminal 5 is considered industry-leading.

Services will include occupational health and treatment services on site, a new medical centre at the Olympic Park and health checks for every worker – 9,000 at the peak of construction.

Lawrence Waterman, Head of Health and Safety for the ODA said:

'London 2012 will be one of the largest and most complex construction projects in the UK, with around 9,000 workers on the site at the peak of construction. A healthy workforce will be a productive workforce and is going to be key to delivering this project on time and on budget.

'Although there was tough competition, the winning consortium’s experience of large and complex projects combined with their understanding of the need for a holistic approach made them a clear winner.'

Dr. Chris Pugh, Chief Medical Officer of the Duradiamond and Health Management Ltd Consortium, said:

'Our team is delighted to be working with the ODA to establish a world-class occupational health and treatment service at the Olympic Park. We will be bringing our combined strengths to build on the experiences of the BAA T5 project to establish a new set of standards for the construction industry. In particular, we see this as a major opportunity to support the initiatives of Constructing Better Health.

'Occupational Health for us is not just about reducing accidents and injuries, but is also about encouraging healthier lifestyles. We know that healthier workers are less likely to injure themselves and have time off, so a key part of our efforts will be to increase the awareness of good health amongst the workforce on site.'

Notes to Editors:

The ODA began the procurement for the provision of occupation healthcare services in March 2007. In May, the ODA identified a shortlist who were invited to bid for the contract. The shortlist was:

- Express Medicals

- Norwich Union Occupational Health

- Team Prevent UK

- Duradiamond Health Management

Duradiamond has a number of major clients including BAA, where they are responsible for providing medical and occupational health services for all seven UK airports. Their work on Heathrow Terminal 5 has recently gained a major UK award for Best Occupational Health Initiative in the UK Construction Industry. Health Management Limited is a specialist occupational health provider providing occupational health services to large, multi-site organisations, typically in excess of 1,000 employees.

Health facilities will be provided on the Olympic Park site from October 2007.


– Ends –

For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 700.