What’s new this year?
The following is a summary of the changes being made this year. For full details see the relevant section below.
- Virtual interviews will be conducted with a sample group of applicants.
What are the Sword and Globe of Honour awards?
These awards celebrate the best of the best in health, safety and environmental management, giving great companies the recognition that they deserve.
Each year, those that have achieved a five-star result in one of the following audits are invited to apply:
- Five Star Occupational Health and Safety Audit
- Five Star Environmental Audit
- Five Star Integrated Health, Safety and Environmental Audit
- Combined Audit.
With a direct link to the Five Star Audit report, these awards require a detailed and objective evaluation of occupational health, safety and environmental management system(s) and associated arrangements.
What is the Shield of Honour award?
Introduced in 2023, the Shield of Honour award recognises excellence in wellbeing. To be eligible for the Shield of Honour, applicants must have achieved five-stars in one of the following audits:
- Five Star Wellbeing Audit
- Five Star Wellbeing Supplementary Audit.
Getting the five-star audit is just the start though, like the Sword and Globe awards, applicants need to demonstrate to an independent adjudication panel that they have a proven track record and culture of best practice for excellence in wellbeing, that runs throughout the organisation, from the shop floor to the boardroom.
New for 2025, a sample of applicants will be randomly selected to validate the responses given on their application in a virtual interview. This selection will be made following the application submission deadline on the 23 September 2025 and the selected applicants will be notified with a MS Teams placeholder invite for the week beginning on the 29 September 2025.
The health, safety and wellbeing event of the year
The Sword, Globe and Shield of Honour awards will culminate in the health, safety, wellbeing and environmental event of the year at the prestigious Drapers’ Hall in London on 28 November 2025. The ceremony will bring together hundreds of like-minded international leaders across sectors.
The cost of the luncheon options are as follows:
Sword, Globe and Shield of Honour Luncheon individual ticket £424
Sword, Globe and Shield of Honour Luncheon package £1,734
Additional Awards
For 2025, we will again be running 2 additional award types, with the winners announced at the Sword, Globe and Shield of Honour Luncheon on the 28 November 2025.
Innovation and Development Award
Organisations who apply for the Sword and/or Globe and/or Shield of Honour have the option to answer two further questions about an innovative project that they have adopted, describing the impact this innovation had across the business.
The questions will be marked by a panel and shortlisted organisations will be put forward to be awarded at the luncheon event in November 2025. Please note that organisations wanting to be considered for this new award are agreeing to the possibility of a self-funded site visit by a British Safety Council representative to validate the application.
More information about the Innovation and Development award can be found on the FAQ’s page
Sector Awards
In 2024 we introduced the new Sector Awards. Sector Awards will recognise overall 'best in class' submissions by industry sector under the 3 categories: health & safety, environmental management and wellbeing. These awards do not require a separate submission. This is a great way to stand out amongst peers and encourages best practice. Sector Award categories are:
- Construction and property activities
- Consultancy and advisory
- Education
- Financial, IT, legal, scientific and technical services, media
- Health and social care
- Leisure, sports clubs, hospitality and catering
- Local government, defence and public services
- Manufacturing
- Not for profit
- Oil, gas, mining and quarrying
- Onshore major hazard
- Power and utilities
- Transportation, distribution and storage
- Wholesale and retail services.
New trophies
We are conscious that organisations are recognised for winning the Sword, Globe or Shield of Honour but it is individuals who make this happen. For 2025, in recognition of this, we will again have staff trophies (designed to sit on someone’s desk) available to purchase. These individual trophies must be purchased at the same time as a main, full-size trophy. Full details will be available shortly.
Why Apply?
Successful Sword, Globe and Shield applicants demonstrate that they are among the 'best of the best' through the submission of a written application and achieving their Five Star audit. The awards give winners the opportunity to:
- Promote their success with the winners' trophy, logo, certificate and press coverage
- Add this achievement to tenders and corporate literature
- Showcase your commitment to excellent health, safety, wellbeing and environmental management standards
- Motivate your workforce to strive for higher standards
- Benchmark yourself against others in your field.
How to Apply?
Organisations who have achieved the top grade in their Five Star audit will receive an email from [email protected] inviting them to apply for the scheme. The Sword, Globe and Shield of Honour application can be purchased, by paying via credit card or invoice.
Key dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 14 August 2025 | Launch schemes |
| 22 August 2025 | Application webinar |
| 22 September 2025 | Application submission deadline (for audits completed by 31 July 2025) |
| Week commencing 29 September 2025 | Virtual interviews |
| 16 October 2025 | Results emailed to applicants |
| 17 October 2025 | Winners list published |
| 24 October 2025 | Results enquiry deadline |
| 03 November 2025 | Trophy and plaque orders deadline |
| 28 November 2025 | Sword, Globe and Shield of Honour Luncheon, Drapers’ Hall, London |
Supporting resources
Eligibility
Click here to read the full eligibility criteria for the Sword, Globe and Shield of Honour awards.
Adjudication process and results
The written applications are marked by an independent panel of adjudicators appointed, trained and monitored by British Safety Council. The adjudicators are all senior level health, safety, wellbeing and environmental practitioners. A rigorous standardisation process ensures that each adjudicator applies the marking scheme in exactly the same way so that all applications are marked consistently to the same standard.
Click here to view the full criteria for the adjudication process and results.
Application questions and marking criteria
Case studies/mentoring
From 2024, we are looking to offer case studies and/or mentoring services to Sword, Globe and Shield of Honour applicants. To progress this, we are keen to hear from winning organisations that would be willing to take part in sharing how they achieved their success in the awards. Full details need to be worked out but this maybe via webinars, videos etc. An additional unmarked question has been added to the award application system in this regard.
Reports and winners list from 2024
Reports and winners list from 2023
Reports and winners list from 2022
FAQs
To understand the scheme better, you might find it useful to read our frequently asked questions - complied for you here.
Watch our video on how to allocate licences: