Bridlington Hospital worker’s delight after winning prestigious health and safety award

Bill Adams, TUC Regional Secretary for Yorkshire and the Humber region, presents Franco Villani (right) with his health and safety award.

Maintenance engineer Franco Villani, who lives in Flamborough was nominated for his work at the hospital on Bessingby Road, which is part of the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Franco Villani scooped the John White Award for Health and Safety and Wellbeing Representative of the Year, presented by the TUC.

Mr Villani said: “I am delighted and honoured to receive this award.

“I would like to thank everyone who I work with at Bridlington Hospital who operate collaboratively day in-day out on health and safety issues.

“The staff have been outstanding during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Simon Morritt, chief executive at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said in a news bulletin: “Congratulations to Franco Villani, maintenance engineer at Bridlington, who has been awarded the TUC Health and Safety Wellbeing Representative of the Year Award.

“Franco was nominated for his vigilance, commitment and dedication to his fellow workers in these unprecedented times.

“He is described as ‘a true role model and guiding light for us all’ and I know he is universally liked and well thought of.

“Congratulations Franco – keep up the fantastic work.”

Bill Adams, TUC Regional Secretary for Yorkshire and the Humber region, who presented the award, said: “Franco was due to receive the award at the conference but it had to go virtual.

“It was important to come and see Franco as his input into some of the safety procedures have made a real difference.

“ He has gone above and beyond on health and safety.

“Franco’s intervention when it came to transferring staff between sites when the situation became critical was important. He persuaded management it was the right thing to do regarding advice and prevented people getting Covid.

“He also recognised that workers in the hospital were being asked to handle Covid contaminated laundry without protection.

“He did go over and beyond. The award is a good result for Franco and for the union.”