Industry welfare organisation B&CE is to acquire the Constructing Better Health (CBH) initiative from under the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS), it has been announced.

Set up in 2004, CBH is a national scheme for the management of occupational health within the industry.

As the health of employees' becomes a higher priority, the board CSCS decided CBH's opportunity for growth would fair better under B&CE.

The not-for-profit B&CE has provided financial and welfare benefits to the construction industry for the past 70 years.

It is understood the acquisition of CBH will take place over the coming months.

Patrick Heath-Lay, Chief Executive Officer of B&CE, said: "This is a great opportunity to take forward the important work of strengthening occupational health within the construction sector. We want to build on the work that Constructing Better Health has done over the past few years and, following a period of intensive engagement with the sector, launch a new proposition that really delivers for construction workers and employers.

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"We provided financial support to the CBH pilot scheme and have supported the work of Constructing Better Health from day one. We know that we can deliver a new scheme that will benefit construction even more than the existing scheme does."

Graham Wren, Chief Executive of CSCS, added: "Since Constructing Better Health was established in 2004 the organisation has grown and now has around 340 employer customers. However, the importance of occupational health in the UK construction industry has grown in recent years and the CSCS Board have concluded that further growth opportunities for CBH can be better realised as part of B&CE.

"The Board considered the ability to offer occupational health alongside existing employee benefits to be a good strategic fit with Constructing Better Health, benefiting from the resources and experience of B&CE in order to invest and grow occupational health services to the benefit of the construction sector."

(LM/MH)