For professional excellence - The Bill Jackson Award 2011

The 2011 Bill Jackson Award for ‘Professional Excellence’ will be shared by two recovery companies, McAllisters Recovery and BJG Solutions.

The recovery was not only difficult but also dangerous due to the highly toxic content of the tanktainer, which had fallen off a gantry crane onto its side, damaging the frame.

On receiving the award Mark McAllister, MD of McAllister Recovery said;

‘Winning the Bill Jackson award is a highlight of my career. I have run major incident scenes for over a decade yet still the odd job causes that little nag of doubt. The incident in question was one such job where the responsibility worried me from start to finish. Not because of concerns with the team, the kit or our recovery plan but simply the risk associated consequences had the slightest unforeseen event occurred. Thankfully the recovery was handled perfectly due to the skill, training and professionalism of those on the ground and I thank them all for the their hard work and dedication throughout the very long and tiring day.

In particular I was extremely pleased to have shared the award jointly with the team from BJG Solutions as it shows that with positive partnerships across the industry we can achieve so much. I hope that this incident shows what our independent industry is capable of achieving through a desire to be the best combined with real investment in our people,equipment and working practises’.

Darren Donoghue, director BJG Solutions added;

‘We work in sometimes very difficult and often dangerous situations, not just big, high profile jobs like the one in question but on a day to day basis loading a vehicle on the hard shoulder for example, because we do it all of the time we can sometimes take for granted the risksinvolved.

This job is a testament to the professionalism and pride in the job that our staff demonstrated during very difficult circumstances. A job well done by true recovery men. I have seen quite a few comments made on the various forums by recovery people who suggested ‘rather you than me’, well these guys turned up, got suited up in full charcoal lined kit wearing respirators and just got on and done the job ! Not even a suggestion that they were not willing to carry out this recovery, because that is what they do. This award is very gratefully received for the recognition of the operators who did the work, Scott Heath and Alan Bright from BJG and Lee from McAllisters.

Well done boys, you did me proud (as usual)!!’

The Bill Jackson Award will take pride of place for the first six months at  BJG Solutions then be handed over to McAllisters until the 2012 IVR AGM.