The highest safety standards are being met on the construction site of the Olympic Park, with over two million hours achieved without a reportable accident.

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) gained possession of the site last July, and since then over 2,000 workers on site have been working to clean and clear the area ready for the start of construction.

Demolition has been completed on the sites of the 'Big 5' venues - the Olympic Stadium, the Aquatics Centre, the IBC/MPC, the Velopark and the Olympic Village - and over 1.3 million tonnes of soil is being cleaned of contamination.

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ODA Chairman John Armitt said: "To achieve more than two million hours without a reportable accident on a project of this size and scale is a great achievement and is thanks to the hard work and dedication of teams on the site.

"Over the last year, around 180 buildings have been demolished and thousands of tonnes of soil tested and cleaned in a challenging demolition and earthworks programme. This has not only been achieved on time and to schedule but to the very highest standards of heath and safety."

Mr Armitt continued: "A big challenge lies ahead of us as we prepare for the start of the 'big build' and construction work starting ahead of schedule in May, but we will continue to ensure that health and safety comes first."

John Armitt today visited staff locations throughout the 2.5 kilometre site to thank workers for their work and hear about the progress and achievements made to date.

The visit included a trip to the Medical Centre that has been established on the Olympic Park, where John Armitt met the medical team responsible for the health of the workers.

(JM/KMcA)