Ashe stands down for safety initiative

Work came to a standstill on all Ashe Group sites for an hour this week for an innovative safety initiative.

The special event, Stand Down for Safety, devised by Ashe’s health and safety team, involved everyone in the company stopping work for an hour to watch a presentation live streamed to all of Ashe’s construction sites and offices.

A presentation was given by one of the UK’s most inspirational speakers, Jason Anker MBE, who was paralysed from the waist down due to an avoidable accident on a construction site when he was just 24 years old.

Statistics released by the Health and Safety Executive recently revealed a rise in fatalities in the construction industry with 51 fatal injuries to workers in the year to March 2024, an increase on an average of 42 deaths per year during the previous five years. The sobering figures also revealed 47,000 construction workers sustained non-fatal injuries at work during the same period.

Jason told the story of his life after falling 10 feet from an untethered ladder whilst undertaking roofing works on a construction site. Initially told he would recover from his injuries, tests showed he would never walk again. Jason explained the ripple effect of his decision not to tether the ladder; the months in rehab, the strain on his marriage and the affect his injuries have had on all aspects of his life including his family and friends.

The training initiative, saw over 600 people across 20 sites in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Oxfordshire and London attend the presentation designed to be a hard-hitting way of sending the construction safety message home to all those connected to Ashe’s projects.

Training designed to combat 51 construction fatalities and 47,000 injuries in the construction industry last year
600 people being trained
20 construction sites stopped work, across seven counties

Among those attending were employees and directors from Ashe Construction and Ashe Roofing, architects, project subcontractors and their directors, and clients.

Subcontractor, Hayden Topp who is senior site manager at Bellwood Interiors attended the presentation at Ashe’s Bedford Academy site and said: “A big thank you to Ashe Group for hosting a very insightful seminar based on health, safety and wellbeing. The seminar covered a wide range of topics such as workplace safety, including the impact it has on you, your employer, your colleagues and family.”

The presentation also covered mental health awareness and steps on improving wellbeing, such as improving sleep and the way diet and attitude can affect the way you feel both physically and mentally.

Ben Hamblin, architectural technologist at GSSArchitecture watched the presentation and said: “Jason’s presentation highlighted the impact that serious injuries can have, not just on those injured, but also on the people, they know, and that your decisions are important.

“Part of our responsibility as architects is to design out the risks, such as working at height and we factor in the safety of those who’ll undertake the future maintenance of our buildings, too. Jason’s talk was a great reminder that if you spot something unsafe on site, you must speak up.”

Ian Berrie, head of health and safety said: “I have no doubt the impact of Jason’s story will leave a lasting impression on all of us and my hope is it will help encourage safe working on our sites and be a springboard for safer working for all in 2025 and beyond.”

Robin Blake, Ashe’s group chief executive said: “Whilst process and procedures always receive much attention, we wanted to do something more to enhance our safety culture. Stand Down for Safety is an opportunity to consider the human aspect of our work, the impact it has on family and wellbeing.

“Jason’s story is a powerful way of reminding us of our responsibilities and how something that could easily be avoided can have life changing consequences. Don’t gamble on your safety, particularly for the sake of your family. Speak up if something doesn’t look right or feel right.”

Ashe Group employs 130 people and operates from offices in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. The company specialises in building schools and healthcare facilities. Major projects currently underway include MK East and Bedford Academy.

Ashe has recently been awarded Five Stars in a British Safety Council Audit.