17/04/2008

Highest Safety Standards Met At Olympic Park: ODA

The highest safety standards are being met on the construction site of the Olympic Park, with over two million hours achieved without a reportable accident.

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) gained possession of the site last July, and since then over 2,000 workers on site have been working to clean and clear the area ready for the start of construction.

Demolition has been completed on the sites of the 'Big 5' venues - the Olympic Stadium, the Aquatics Centre, the IBC/MPC, the Velopark and the Olympic Village - and over 1.3 million tonnes of soil is being cleaned of contamination.

ODA Chairman John Armitt said: "To achieve more than two million hours without a reportable accident on a project of this size and scale is a great achievement and is thanks to the hard work and dedication of teams on the site.

"Over the last year, around 180 buildings have been demolished and thousands of tonnes of soil tested and cleaned in a challenging demolition and earthworks programme. This has not only been achieved on time and to schedule but to the very highest standards of heath and safety."

Mr Armitt continued: "A big challenge lies ahead of us as we prepare for the start of the 'big build' and construction work starting ahead of schedule in May, but we will continue to ensure that health and safety comes first."

John Armitt today visited staff locations throughout the 2.5 kilometre site to thank workers for their work and hear about the progress and achievements made to date.

The visit included a trip to the Medical Centre that has been established on the Olympic Park, where John Armitt met the medical team responsible for the health of the workers.

(JM/KMcA)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

06 May 2009
Workers Protest At Olympic Building Site
Construction workers are protesting at the 2012 Olympic Games site in London to demand that more British workers should be employed rather than agency workers. Around 400 members of GMB and Unite unions demonstrated at the site in Stratford, east London. They will travel on coaches from construction sites across the country.
18 May 2011
First Olympic Torch Relay Locations Announced
From Lands End to London via all the nations and regions of the UK, the first locations on the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay route have been announced.
04 November 2009
Royal Visit For Olympic Park
Her Majesty The Queen visited the Olympic Park yesterday to see the progress being made to create the venues and infrastructure needed for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and has helped plant the first of over 4,000 trees that will create the parklands.
11 May 2012
London Underground Workers Welcome Olympic Payment
Unite members working for London Underground have welcomed an £850 Olympic payment. There had been extensive negotiations over the working arrangements attached to the deal and to whom the payments should apply. Unite represents hundreds of engineering, electrical, power control and management workers employed by London Underground Limited.
10 March 2005
Paris workers strike during Olympic Committee visit
A general workers strike in France has caused travel chaos in Paris, just as the city is playing host to inspectors from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).