2007: Winners by design
June 1st 2007

The BSIF's Product Innovation Awards 2007 proved an outstanding success with a record number of entries, innovative products and services, a new category of Award and delighted winners who recognise the marketing benefits the awards will bring to their companies The Product Innovation Awards, mounted with the help of CMP Information and showcased at Safety & Health Expo in Birmingham in May, have successfully promoted some 60 highly innovative safety products and services since their launch in 2001.

This year, with a record number of entries , the judging panel had a particularly hard time in evaluating the submissions and in selecting winners from what was a very strong field.

However, the overall award winner was a safety knife submitted by Mure & Peyrot. This features an automatic retraction of the blade when the knife is not in use.

Another simple design feature is that the blade is locked, making it virtually impossible for accidents to occur, when the knife is not in use.

Surprised, yet delighted to be announced overall winner, Aurélie Corbrejaud, export manager, comments "We're very proud. We spent a lot of time developing this innovative solution. It's something that will reduce injuries as work.

"We're very grateful to the BSIF for this award and think it's going to help us sell the product." Equally enthusiastic, Jane Jemmett, inventor and owner of Oi-Noise said she was "absolutely 'gobsmacked" to receive highly commended for her Oi noise tool.

The device is a simple, cheap way of checking noise levels to help prevent hearing loss and any subsequent ill-health injury claims. Oi emits 80 decibels (the level at which damage to hearing can start). If it can't be heard, then the surrounding noise is in excess of 80 decibels and action is needed.

Jane Jemmett comments "The product innovation award knocked me sideways.

Being among such esteemed company, I didn't think I'd have any chance. I was absolutely stunned, amazed and very very happy." Highly commended, too, in the 2007 Awards was the suspension trauma lanyard submitted by Heightec Group. It features an integral, automatically deploying footloop. Able to provide immediate relief to a suspended person to prevent the onset of suspension trauma, the device is small, light and unobtrusive.

Integral to the energy absorbing lanyard, it cannot be lost, forgotten or incorrectly fitted.

Keith Jones, MD, comments "The Awards are a fine thing. They encourage us to develop things that the safety industry sees as innovative. We were hopeful (of winning) because we think the product is a good idea. It's our fourth year of winning a BSIF Award." Also an Award winner Postureminder is designed as a short-term training aid.

It brings state-of-the-art computer vision techniques to the everyday problem of sitting correctly. The small device is positioned on the top of the monitor and views the operator. It is programmed to provide screen prompts if and when the person's posture slumps.

The company is keen to point out that the device only records and processes posture-related data.

Dr Philip Worthington, MD, was very enthusiastic about the award. He says "We spent a long time developing the product and this will give us a tremendous boost in terms of getting recognition." Submitted by Total Access (UK), the Total Access Rescue Genie was also an Award winner. In addition to being easily portable, it uses a telescopic pole to locate the person in need of rescue. This, coupled with a special hook and pull mechanism, ensures swift and easy attachment of the lever ratchet mechanism to the casualty.

A few strokes from the winch will have a casualty raised to their attachment point, released from their original safety line and quickly lowered to safety.

Richard Hinckley, director, believes the award will prove beneficial to the company.

He comments "I'm surprised and delighted. It will certainly help with our marketing of the product." Customer Service awards This year, for the first time, the BSIF Awards also recognised innovation in customer supply. Awards are based upon assessments of the companies' service and innovation by their own customers. With a high number of entries and an excellent response from customers, the overall result has been consistently high.

The overall winner was RPS Laboratories. The company offers Fit Test provision for users of respiratory protection. With an outstanding score from customers and unsolicited comments such as 'I would have no hesitation in recommending this company' and 'Probably the best organisation we deal with', the BSIF concluded that customer service is clearly core to this business.

A Highly Commended Award went to Charles Owen, a company that offers a range of items, including safety products, to the horse riding market. Customer scores were excellent, with exceptionally high scores in the 'personal contact' category (ie by telephone and personal visit).

Also highly commended, the McOnie Agency is a marketing organisation that works closely with the safety market. Its exceptional scores in service innovation were backed by excellent customer contacts.

Awards ceremony Winners were presented with their Awards by Sir John Cullen, President of the BSIF, chairman of the Judges, and former chair of the HSC. He said "We received a record number of entries this year and, as usual, it has been a difficult task to evaluate the entries.

Congratulations to everyone involved." The Awards were presented at a lunch held on the opening day of Safety & Health Expo. The BSIF hopes that attendances will increase still further as the dedicated event offers attendees the opportunity to network with other award winners, invited senior managers and the media.

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