The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) wants to shine a light on individuals who have gone “above and beyond” to improve the safety of others, for a new awards scheme.

The safety charity’s Guardian Angel Awards, being held for the first time this year, will honour those whose initiative, diligence, enthusiasm and commitment have made a real difference to safety in the organisation where they work or the wider community. It is the first time that RoSPA, a charity with a history stretching back 97 years, has run an awards scheme for individuals. Potential RoSPA Guardian Angels could include: “shop-floor” workers who have been proactive in championing safety through their day-to-day jobs; health and safety managers who have gone the extra mile to improve the wellbeing of their colleagues; employees who contribute to corporate social responsibility, for example by taking part in activities that benefit the wider community; or teachers and youth workers who help children and young people learn that safety is an enabler of activity, rather than an inhibitor, for example through adventure activities and expeditions.

Organisations are invited to nominate individuals for a RoSPA Guardian Angel Award by submitting an entry form and citation. The closing date is March 14. Full details, including entry fees, are available on the RoSPA website. Tom Mullarkey, chief executive of RoSPA, said: “At RoSPA we believe that one of the greatest gifts in the world is to share responsibility for each other’s lives. In an emergency, nearly everyone would step up to help another, and we see examples of this selflessness every day – it is an extraordinary human quality which we find all around us and within us. A Guardian Angel exhibits these unselfish qualities tirelessly and, without any fuss, gets on with the practical and seemingly routine business of helping people to stay alive and free of injury whilst living their lives to the full. 

“People who deserve special recognition as RoSPA Guardian Angels are all around us but go unnoticed. Whether or not they are employed within a safety role or have used their initiative, skills and energies to make life safer in their community, we want to join with the organisations that nominate them in shining a light on these modest role models who set a fantastic example to the rest of us and would never seek applause for themselves. The recognition of their contribution will inspire others to save lives and reduce injuries across the UK.” RoSPA Guardian Angels will receive their awards during ceremonies in Birmingham on May 14 and May 15, London on June 17 and Glasgow on September 18. Organisations winning awards in the RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards 2014 will also be honoured at the ceremonies. Organisations wishing to enter the main RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards 2014 can still do so for awards to be presented at the Glasgow ceremony. For this, the registration deadline is April 23, with full entry submissions needed by June 4. Please note, these dates are different to the entry deadline for the RoSPA Guardian Angel Awards.