One of the most prolific businesses for office renovations, design and decoration, currently operating in the Midlands, has recently been handed the brilliant achievement of ‘excellence’ in terms of work area safety measures. The company, known as Rhino Interiors Group (Rhino), has been recognised by Alcumus SafeContractor for its consistent advances
Whatever industry you’re operating in – whether it’s construction, marketing, retail, education or something else altogether – your employees face a number of hazards. For instance, your employees might face harm from heavy machinery, noisy equipment, chemicals and electricity, or even just standard trips and falls. And that’s where you
Technical and non-technical workplace safety and performance consultancy, People Factor Consultants (PFC) is celebrating a record six months after recording major rises in the number of people taking its electrical safety and human factors courses. The consultancy firm offers a number of highly interactive electrical safety courses accredited by City
Horbury Safe (The Following is a Promoted Article) Health and safety has never been so pivotal to operational approach. In the construction industry today we are increasingly seeing businesses tailor their strategy to health and safety best practice. That’s because it not only ticks the boxes of legislation but
A Mature Approach to Health and Safety (The Following is a Promoted Article) Good health and safety practice starts at the very beginning. Long before a project hits the construction site, risks must be limited and potential hazards documented and flagged. Hoare Lea, which enjoys an international presence providing expert
Skilled Craftsmanship Attentive customer service allied to skilled craftsmanship, the use of modern building materials and techniques, and sound business management has made John Weaver an industry leader in Wales (The Following is a Promoted Article) These days, a successful health and safety record is as much a mark of
The Importance Of Worker Engagement (The Following is a Promoted Article) Enfield-based Mattison Scaffolding Ltd has made great strides in health and safety over the last five years. Following the introduction of the Chartered Member of the Institute of Safety and Health John Houlihan as its in-house Health and Safety
Safety Is Not An Option Worker wellbeing goes hand in hand with business growth at Eurogold (The Following is a Promoted Article) “No Muddy Boots”, reads the sign at the door of Eurogold’s head office in Huyton near Liverpool. It is a simple, honest request and one that becomes increasingly
Airconaire: Safety Comes As Standard (The Following is a Promoted Article) There’s more to standing out in a competitive industry than just the services you have at your disposal. Increasingly, as repeat business is so vital to the successful longevity of a company, the emphasis is not simply on what
The construction industry continues to be defined by collaboration; the length of the supply chain often proves critical when it comes to contractors’ ability to carry our quality workmanship, and in a safe and conscientious manner. Adept in design, construction, installation and maintenance, appropriate across industries, Alliance Group Solutions quickly
One of the most prolific businesses for office renovations, design and decoration, currently operating in the Midlands, has recently been handed the brilliant achievement of ‘excellence’ in terms of work area safety measures. The company, known as Rhino Interiors Group (Rhino), has been recognised by Alcumus SafeContractor for its consistent advances in making a safer workplace for its 20-plus workforce. This is undoubtedly fantastic news for Rhino, which has had contracts with many star-studded enterprises such Aston Martin and Siemens. With such a wide and varied client base, it is clear that Rhino delivers very high standards of output and is consistently able to satisfy its clients again and again. An investigation of Rhino’s health and safety standards was essential as, being such a high-profile company, as explained by SafeContractor Director Gemma Archibald, certain standards have to be met and checked. SafeContractor was eager to ensure that Rhino passed the various tests with flying colours and was pleased that the process had gone smoothly. Mr Adrian Dearnley of Rhino wanted to emphasise that Rhino accepted and welcomed the various tests that needed to be implemented in order to assess Rhino’s methods against risk in the work place that were already in situ. He confirmed that Rhino adopts the rigorous implementation of these regulations so that contractors and employees put their safety first before anything else. Furthermore, the Director of Rhino emphasised how proud he is of the accreditation that defines the West Midlands firm as a bastion of health and safety regulations.
Whatever industry you’re operating in – whether it’s construction, marketing, retail, education or something else altogether – your employees face a number of hazards. For instance, your employees might face harm from heavy machinery, noisy equipment, chemicals and electricity, or even just standard trips and falls. And that’s where you come in. It’s your responsibility as an employer to ensure that you’re able to identify, manage and minimise the risks your employees face in a busy working environment. There are a number of rules and regulations on the matter, and penalties for non-compliance are severe… and that’s not to mention the cost of lost business, lost man-hours and a damaged reputation with clients and customers alike. So, here’s a very brief overview of how to minimise risks in your busy working environment. However, be sure to investigate your responsibility further using information from charities such as ROSPA (The Royal Society of the Prevention of Accidents), or guidance from the Health and Safety Executive. First, identify the hazards your employees face This is the starting point for reducing risks. Think about the environment, the processes and materials that have the potential to harm your employees, noting them down. Always ask for a second opinion, getting additional people involved – extra eyes are always a good idea. Then, refer back to your accident and sickness records: can you spot any hazards that are causing employees harm? It’s also a good idea to check guidance from the manufacturers of the equipment and substances you’re using, as they’ll often explain the hazards your employees are likely to be exposed to. Then, evaluate the risks and decide how you’re going to take action Next, you’ll need to decide how likely it is that harm will occur, and put some measures in place for reducing that chance. Don’t expect to eliminate risk completely, but do focus on the things you could do to reduce the likelihood of harm. For instance, can you change a process to circumvent dangerous practices? Can you issue protective clothing, install safety equipment or devise training programmes to better protect your employees? Be sure to record your findings, and report incidents and near misses whenever they arise There’s a lot you can learn when things go wrong, and taking a proactive attitude to it will hopefully mean that the level of risk your employees are exposed to will lessen over time. Finally, ensure you have adequate resources and software to manage risk One of the biggest obstacles for businesses managing risks in the workplace is that they simply don’t have the resources required to ensure everyone is as safe as they can be. So, consider investing risk management software available from providers such as Airsweb. Good quality software will equip you with tools such as best practice templates for employees to refer to, a centralised risk register, and the ability to check that the right employees have read risk assessments – ultimately, it gives you a centralised place to refer to and report back in to.
Technical and non-technical workplace safety and performance consultancy, People Factor Consultants (PFC) is celebrating a record six months after recording major rises in the number of people taking its electrical safety and human factors courses. The consultancy firm offers a number of highly interactive electrical safety courses accredited by City & Guilds as well as its range of non-technical, human factors training. Earlier in the year, the firm launched its newest course, HV Systems Operations. This course combines eight days worth of training into one five day course and provides operators with what it describes as a ‘flexible, cost effective option’ for electrical safety training. Brian Crichton, Technical Director at PFC, commented on the company’s success: “Our portfolio of courses is extremely flexible and we have ensured that all courses are developed to meet the current needs of the industry for cost-effective training solutions. Even during the toughest times, operators have still acknowledged that we need to avoid complacency with workplace safety and that investment at this time will pay off in terms of safety and performance. “Between this year and last we’ve doubled the number of Responsible Electrical Person courses delivered, and numbers for our Electrical Safety and Situation Awareness have increased fivefold over the same period last year. Our HV Switching course, which is now incorporated into our HV Systems Operations course, has proved extremely popular with delegates. We’ve had a significant amount of excellent feedback, with one delegate sharing that he has never undertaken such effective training during his 30 years in the industry. “The success of our training courses is testament to our experienced team of specialist trainers and is a reflection of our flexibility in developing the most effective courses which offer delegates a comprehensive understanding of electrical safety.” PFC offers a portfolio of 15 technical and non-technical training courses. Many of these are accredited by City & Guild, as well as providing tailored training and consultancy services to high hazard industries across the world.
Horbury Safe (The Following is a Promoted Article) Health and safety has never been so pivotal to operational approach. In the construction industry today we are increasingly seeing businesses tailor their strategy to health and safety best practice. That’s because it not only ticks the boxes of legislation but facilitates the development of a working environment where staff want to be; where its expertise, as well as its wellbeing, is valued. Importantly, more and more companies in the industry are witnessing the commercial potential of these vital foundations. Horbury Joinery, which is part of the multi-disciplined national service provider Horbury Group, is one such example. Indeed, it has taken its reputation for the highest standards of craftsmanship and applied this to the safety and wellbeing of its staff. The Group has worked tirelessly to improve policies and procedures, analysing where incidents occurred, why they occurred and what could be changed to reduce the risk. Taking a holistic approach, the Group established Environ Safety Management Ltd, a dedicated company specialising in training and consultancy. This has brought huge benefits to the Group as a whole, with key members from each of the company’s divisions applying their knowledge in order to influence policy, find areas of improvement and promote best practice. This has helped, for example, to alleviate challenges deriving from having different trades on site at the same time. Policy dictates basic principles of health and safety but depending on the nature of the project, the lead trade will see a dedicated contracts manager, skilled in the relevant trade, write the method statement and risk assessment. This ensures they are fit for purpose. When divisions work collaboratively, contracts managers from each trade will come together to develop a method statement that encompasses the exacting standards demanded by the Group. The health and safety committee meets regularly to identify strengths as well as areas of weakness to inform policy and drive standards. For instance, through analysis of accident statistics within the joinery division, data showed that the majority of incidents involved the trapped or cut fingers of agency workers during their first thirty days of employment. Horbury Group aimed to reduce this risk at its source. It worked with its provider of agency labour to ensure the right sorts of people – with relevant experience or qualifications – were being put forward for work with Horbury. For any vulnerable people, the company would provide extended training and support. Within three months of this initiative going live, accident rates to fingers were reduced significantly. Contracts Director David Bastow, who also heads Horbury’s health and safety company Environ, says it’s the moral duty of a construction business to take care of its workforce. “We’ve turned health and safety from a blocker into an aid. What we’ve learned over the years is that health and safety is very behavioural and we’ve found that if you can instil high standards at the top level and filter it down to the sites, operatives understand that is the standard you must work towards. We call it Horbury Safe – and that not only meets legislation but goes above it, to develop levels of competency that ensures the working environment is as safe as possible. “Each quarter we look at accidents and near-misses and analyse them – are there any trends we can identify and target for improvement? Of course, it’s easy to target the RIDDOR’s because they are by definition far more significant but by analysing minor incidents we can make dramatic improvements to our overall health and safety procedure.” One of the changes the Group made was to only accept staff if their CSCS cards were gained for the trade in which they planned to work. “Some companies are happy for staff to have any CSCS card to get on site. We see that as wrong,” adds David. Horbury’s approach is complemented by an incentivised system. “Each site gets audited by our health and safety company. The site’s competency is scored and those points go on a leaderboard. Human nature means you don’t want to be at the bottom. That’s seen our teams really buy into the initiative; you can see them looking after each other and that’s very pleasing.” Another recent initiative has been the launch of the “Workforce Forum” which invites site-based operatives from each division to sit down with the directors to discuss day to day challenges. Honesty is encouraged and where Horbury can improve it will. Recently David was able to reveal at the company’s bi-annual seminar that accident severity rates were down to 0.06, well below the company’s target of 0.25. Accreditation to certified bodies such as CHAS identifies the competencies evidenced by the Group. David acknowledges that since the company embraced health and safety through its dedicated company, it has worked more closely with CHAS to enhance its policies. “Before we developed the health and safety committee I’ll admit we used to wait for the email reminder to say the CHAS audit is coming up. We’d quickly rally around to check if our policies were up to date. Now it’s an ongoing appraisal of our policies and procedures.” And the relationship between CHAS and the Group is now far more developed than simply passing the annual audit. “Organisations like CHAS are now more supportive and we can tap into that support and develop our policies further. Certain customers won’t let us tender unless we have a CHAS accreditation against us. But it’s not just about getting on tenders, it’s because we truly believe it benefits us as a business. Additionally, when we present to prospective clients and they ask about health and safety, which is always on the agenda, we can highlight our accreditations.” Looking ahead, the company is eager to make its initiative “Horbury Safe” a recognised symbol of excellence. “If you’ve worked with us as a client or you’ve worked with us as a subcontractor, you’ll know what health and safety means because of the value and
A Mature Approach to Health and Safety (The Following is a Promoted Article) Good health and safety practice starts at the very beginning. Long before a project hits the construction site, risks must be limited and potential hazards documented and flagged. Hoare Lea, which enjoys an international presence providing expert mechanical, electrical and public health engineering design, acknowledges that its role prior to a project breaking ground is vital in the management of risk. That’s why a significant proportion of its work is to design-out risk in accordance with CDM regulations to aid the health, safety and welfare of staff when construction begins. Hoare Lea’s successful national and international growth is testament to its ability to provide solutions that not only meet the exacting standards of its clients’ needs but enables projects to be delivered safely. It’s part of the firm’s rewarding combination of knowledge, experience and attention to detail that continues to distinguish it amongst its peers. This is highlighted by a long-established holistic approach to quality, health, safety and environmental management which remains compliant with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and BS OHSAS 14001. It’s evidence of a very mature system, says Head of Compliance Gwyn Davies, who oversees the firm’s ongoing management of health and safety internally. While Hoare Lea ensures its staff have a safe working environment in which to operate within its offices, much of the business’s risks derive from its work outside of these carefully controlled workspaces. This includes travel between offices and client bases and, of course, site visits where staff may be located during active construction works. It is this aspect of Hoare Lea’s work that demands the most attention. “We have to focus on our staff when they go to site because the environment in which they inhabit outside our offices is out of our control. We support this focus through our Site Visit Risk Assessment, which takes into account site-specific hazards in order to mitigate risk,” explains Gwyn. “It’s about making sure we discharge our obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act in order to provide our staff with a safe environment in which to work and that includes work in our office, travel between offices and out on site.” While the firm doesn’t provide a supervisory role onsite, engineers may be tasked to monitor or inspect an installation to check the development is being carried out in accordance with the design and specification produced by Hoare Lea. At these times, it is critical to have completed a site-specific risk assessment. The value placed upon health and safety within the organisation is obvious. Certification to BS OHSAS 18001 is a clear status of intent as well as an indication of the compliance levels achieved by the business. Accreditation to CHAS, a prerequisite when tendering for many projects these days, is another example. Hoare Lea also recognises health and safety at the very top of its management structure with representation at executive level, while a culture of communication, led by regional representation provides a voice for the grassroots level. “We will soon have 12 offices throughout the UK and each has a health and safety representative,” explains Gwyn. “We meet every quarter to review the effectiveness of our policies, share ideas, air concerns and ultimately seek ways to enhance our management system. These meetings also give us a chance to prepare for external audits as part of our commitment to BS OHSAS 18001, for example, and apply any changes where needed.” Regular review is key to remaining proactive and supporting an approach bred on continuous improvement. This is complemented by ongoing training. “Just yesterday I was at our London office delivering awareness training on the CDM regulations,” adds Gwyn. A Chartered Engineer, he himself has now acquired the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. Meanwhile, the regional representatives overseeing health and safety all complete a RoSPA two-day training course. The challenge of compliance has been compounded by the company’s increasing work overseas. Hoare Lea now boasts offices in the Middle East and India with its presence continuing to increase on the international stage. To mitigate risk, the business’s Integrated Management Group has worked collaboratively with Human Resources to develop systems that safeguard the welfare of staff when working abroad. There are also legislative challenges in remaining compliant in each of the jurisdictions in which Hoare Lea operates. It is more difficult to navigate the intricacies of the legal systems employed in Abu Dhabi and Qatar, where the firm has bases, as compared to the common law system operated in India (where the business is based in Pune), which has more in common with our own jurisdiction here in the UK. Thankfully, says Gwyn, “our robust system means that if we apply those principles internationally we will remain compliant with local laws.” Ultimately, health and safety is embedded throughout Hoare Lea – from senior executive level to grassroots. Training is ongoing and co-ordinated through the firm’s equally mature Professional Development and Human Resource Groups. The business has also ensured workforce welfare is ingrained within its professional development scheme where young engineers are nurtured towards Chartered status. With a sizeable budget allocated to continuous improvement, it is obvious that no short cuts will ever be taken. After all, Hoare Lea has understood for a significant amount of time the value of health and safety to a successful, sustainable and profitable business. http://www.hoarelea.com/ Tel: 020 3668 7100 (London)
Skilled Craftsmanship Attentive customer service allied to skilled craftsmanship, the use of modern building materials and techniques, and sound business management has made John Weaver an industry leader in Wales (The Following is a Promoted Article) These days, a successful health and safety record is as much a mark of success as the bottom line. John Weaver Construction certainly recognises this; the welfare of the workforce forming the foundations of its activities. Set-up in Swansea in 1967, the company has successfully grown to offer a suite of services across a range of construction and conservation activities. Strong family values have seen it develop long-running relationships with clients based on an inherent attentiveness to customer service allied to skilled craftsmanship, the use of modern building materials and techniques and a first-rate health and safety record. Its success sees it remain very busy. Much of the construction division’s work derives from running the framework projects for Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University NHS Trust. The company is also widely involved with other healthcare projects as well as work in the residential, commercial, retail, civic and institutional sectors. Indeed, John Weaver has just completed a five-star boutique hotel in Pembrokeshire worth £4.5m. This project involved works to a listed mill alongside the building of a new extension to create a 21-bedroom hotel with restaurant and bar. Its activities are aided by the pedigree of the conservation team which boasts 100 years of traditional skilled craftsmanship and construction expertise. Directly employed labour and the provision of its own bespoke joinery shop alongside a carefully chosen local supply chain has seen this side of the business flourish while complementing its construction endeavours, the result of which is the successful completion of many refurbishment and conservation projects over the past 20 years at contract values up to £8m. It recently completed the refurbishment of a listed building plus construction of a new build at The Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea in a project valued at £5.4m. Yet, despite an expanding portfolio, Business Development Manager Joan Tamlyn says health and safety remains at the “forefront of what we do”. Indeed, the welfare of the workforce forms a key component of company training. For example, procedural days will cover specific topics for all site employees and staff, while onsite inductions are carried out for every new project. John Weaver also works with external bodies such as South Wales Consultancy and Training to enhance its health and safety practices and ensure it stays abreast of current regulations, topics and policies. This complements its work on site which begins with a thorough risk assessment and continues with weekly assessments to ensure site safety adheres to the protocol and policies of its accreditations such as CHAS. Working with CHAS, and earning its accredited “mark of approval”, has been of great benefit to John Weaver. Tamlyn remarks: “CHAS helps us demonstrate to our clients and suppliers that we operate in accordance with health and safety law and CDM regulations. As an approved CHAS supplier, we are able to work with their buyers, which leads us to a larger network of clients and potential work. “Being CHAS accredited assists us improve as a business in this key area and assists in identifying areas where improvements can be made. During competitive tendering, 95% of our prospective clients score on our policies and procedures. By being CHAS accredited this ensures that we can, and do, comply with the requirements of our prospective clients, which in turn is a good asset for this area of the business.” This obviously extends to those subcontractors that work with John Weaver. All must adhere to rigorous vetting procedures and be willing to accept they will be regularly monitored through routine audits. Ultimately, it’s about ensuring that a project satisfies the client’s needs safely; often exceeding expectation. It’s part of the “hands-on” approach and attention to detail that the company’s reputation is built upon.
The Importance Of Worker Engagement (The Following is a Promoted Article) Enfield-based Mattison Scaffolding Ltd has made great strides in health and safety over the last five years. Following the introduction of the Chartered Member of the Institute of Safety and Health John Houlihan as its in-house Health and Safety Manager, the company has built upon its commitment to the highest standards and the recognition that workforce wellbeing is consistent with overall business performance. With nearly two and a half decades’ experience working in the industry, much of that directly with the scaffolding profession, John has strategically developed the company’s policies and procedures and witnessed improvement across the board. The introduction of bespoke and innovative health and safety management systems has had the full support of Mattison’s directors, bringing not only vast improvement but the commercial benefits of best practice. Mattison specialises in all areas of scaffolding work; including regeneration and refurbishment projects, ancillary asbestos work, 24-hour emergency response unit, dangerous structure work, high security and utility work. From individual high-rise tower blocks to entire housing estates, the company works with some of the UK’s largest construction companies. Its leading position within the market is founded on in-house expertise that enables it to provide all materials, transport and labour to a project, accelerating programme speed and creating continuity between Mattison and the main contractor. This successful delivery of services has seen it involved in many partnering agreements for regeneration programmes across London. Health and safety has played a major part in the company’s commercial success in the last few years. The inherent risks associated with scaffolding work require much more than procedural requirements and qualifications. Safety must become a seamless part of the job, not an addition to it. That’s something John has targeted and he refers to it as “worker engagement”. “Five years ago, I needed to address every aspect of health and safety within the company,” he remarks. “I focused on developing systems that worked specifically for Mattison having carried out a needs analysis to identify where the weaknesses were and how we could combat them. This was complemented by the creation of a new health and safety culture, implemented across the workforce. At the beginning, it was about planting the seeds to encourage steady progress and improvement. “Worker engagement has made a great contribution to the success of our health and safety record. We hold regular meetings with our staff, we encourage feedback, and we’ve implemented a more focussed career route for staff to progress through. It’s about working from grassroots level and getting the staff involved, equipping them with the tools to take ownership of their own performance. The company recognises you’re only as good as your front line, that’s why it’s so important.” This forms a key part of Mattison’s ethos of “continual improvement”, a fundamental policy that governs all critical aspects of its work. This sees John setting reviewable performance benchmarks, which are assessed on a regular basis. Mattison’s “black hats” supervise work on site. These advanced scaffolders are given extensive training in health and safety policy before qualifying for the CISRS certification. Contracts managers support them alongside regular visits by the health and safety chief to check compliance. In addition, on every site is a comprehensive health and safety folder, documenting everything from the qualifications of the workforce to the method statement and risk assessment. It’s ideal for the client as there is one central archive of relevant information including the competencies of the operatives. Weekly compliance reports measure operational standards before this is analysed on a monthly basis. Performance is measured against pre-determined standards, which include both reactive monitoring where Mattison investigates all accidents, incidents and near misses, and pro-active monitoring where, importantly, good practice is addressed and rewarded. Key performance indicators also help performance evaluation with benchmarking against past and present standards identifying the success of management strategies. John feels it is important to reward good practice. “We don’t want to look at health and safety as purely a negative exercise; we want to point out the work of high achievers. We run recognition awards every month to highlight our top performers, which has proven very successful. It’s good from a client point of view because they can see us encouraging best practice, while our workforce is rewarded for taking ownership of their own standards and conduct.” Crucially, Mattison’s approach to health and safety starts at the beginning. New staff are inducted into the various policies and procedures the company utilises before, for a two-week period, they work alongside an experienced member of the team. “This gives us an opportunity to assess them to ensure their performance level is as we’d expect,” explains John. “It also gives them a chance to be embedded into our way of working, which may be different from previous companies they’ve worked for. However, it’s important to us that they acknowledge and understand our work ethic.” The development of a health and safety culture within Mattison has gone hand-in-hand with its growth as a business over the last few years. Measuring standards, worker engagement, collaborative liaison and bespoke training have combined to enhance its activities and improve the wellbeing and skills development of the workforce. Alongside its CHAS and Safe Contractor accreditations, the company has consistently proven a commitment to the highest standards of which safety plays such a vital part. Concludes John: “With our database of clients continuing to increase, this reflects positively on the way we work and the health and safety standards we are producing.”
Safety Is Not An Option Worker wellbeing goes hand in hand with business growth at Eurogold (The Following is a Promoted Article) “No Muddy Boots”, reads the sign at the door of Eurogold’s head office in Huyton near Liverpool. It is a simple, honest request and one that becomes increasingly revealing the better you know the company’s founder Damien Brickland & co-founder Andy Tomkins. Damien is a man of principle and hard work, a hands-on leader who has weathered the storm of recession with unwavering ambition. 12 years since it began, the company Eurogold now enjoys a reputation as one of the North West’s premier civil engineering contractors and has almost doubled turnover since 2013 to £26.5m. Its order book remains almost full and over the next five years the company is expected to enjoy annual growth of 9%. Eurogold’s rapid progression in the last 12 months is a mark of its approach during the recession. By operating to essentially cover overheads but, importantly, maintain its client base, staff and external workforce, Damien consolidated the company’s position to leave it ideally placed to grow during the upturn. Realising that the significant increase in contracts demanded further focus on all aspects of its operations, money was made available to invest in the business. This included £1.7m on new plant and vehicles to ensure the workforce had the best and safest tools and equipment at its disposal. The implementation of a full-time in-house Health and Safety Manager was another new addition. This was a necessity given the growing number of sites on which Eurogold was operating. In order to consistently deliver high standards for its clients and ensure the safety of its workforce, new measures were put in place to develop an already strong part of the business. Indeed, since the full-time introduction of Health and Safety Manager Michaela Connor, the bar has been set even higher. As a Worksafe Contractor and accredited to CHAS, Construction-line and the NHBC’s SafeMark scheme, Eurogold has nothing to prove when it comes to the safety of its workforce. But it’s the little things that make you stand out. That’s why the “no muddy boots” slogan has such significance. “A tidy site is a safe site,” comments Damien. “For us, the biggest thing in Health and Safety is that it begins with your perception of the business. It starts with a simple thing such as: are the vans clean? If you go in our cabins, are they tidy? That tends to tell you what’s happening on the site.” It is a strategy that comes from the top. “I go straight to the van, then I go to the site office, and finally the canteen,” adds Damien. “The state of these areas tell me everything I need to know about how well-run this site is. If the office is a mess, how well is that site being managed?” It is an approach that has brought dividend. Both Damien and Michaela enjoy a close working relationship with their site managers and the operatives on the ground. This has promoted openness amongst staff who are now more willing than ever to raise issues regarding safety, discuss their own attitudes and ideas, and highlight areas that could be improved. More than anything, safety has become an ingrained culture amongst the workforce meaning it is part of the job, not an addition to it. “Safety isn’t an option,” says Michaela. “It is the norm. What we can do, however, is take it up a level.” In fact, both Damien and Michaela are so confident in Eurogold’s health and safety procedures across its varied sites – currently 56 of them in total – they asked me to randomly pick any two for a spot visit, knowing I wouldn’t find any faults. As a groundworks and civil engineering business, Eurogold faces a number of different risks. Its varied work delivers solutions for such clients as house builders Redrow, Bellway, Wain, MCI Developments, Stewart Milne Homes, Partner Construction, Taylor Wimpey, Eccleston Homes, McCarthy & Stone, and Barratt Home; all blue chip companies that Damien is proud to be involved and associated with. Eurogold provides everything from bulk excavation, foundations and domestic drainage to hard and soft landscaping, and roads and sewer work. Risks are therefore similarly diverse from working at height to site transport, vibration, dust and manual handling. It is a challenge but one Michaela tackles head-on. In addition to daily visits by Contracts Managers and a documented weekly site inspection by the site foreman or supervisor, the Health & Safety Department will carry out regular qualitative and quantitative auditing which has been facilitated by the uninformed Health and Safety Management System implemented on every site. This has brought some key benefits such as creating a smooth transition between site teams and assisting in KPI benchmarking for compliance and standards. This is complemented by the CITB Construction Skills Card Scheme (CSCS/CPCS), which is the minimum requirement for anyone working on a Eurogold site. Further training is given such as NVQ’s, NPORS, WIAPS, SPIDER, First Aid, and NRASWA Street-Works, alongside additional on-going training based on task-specific activities include Manual Handling, Abrasive Wheel and Slinger Banksman to name a few. Furthermore, Eurogold’s onsite supervisory staff are qualified through the SMSTS or SSSTS training schemes. “I visit all our sites regularly and, alongside the Contracts Managers, we will identify any tweaks that we may need to make and deliver any training or refresher training where necessary. The training matrix is a live document so we assess on an ongoing basis,” remarks Michaela. “We care about our people,” adds Damien. “Once they’ve worked here for any length of time, they know it is the place to be. We give them the best training and high specification equipment, vehicles and facilities because if you get those things right, the standard of work and the services you provide for customers are right.” Incentivising best practice has also helped improve Health and Safety, and proven popular with the workforce.
Airconaire: Safety Comes As Standard (The Following is a Promoted Article) There’s more to standing out in a competitive industry than just the services you have at your disposal. Increasingly, as repeat business is so vital to the successful longevity of a company, the emphasis is not simply on what you can do but the way you do it. Airconaire has built an enviable reputation over the years thanks to its extensive portfolio of mechanical engineering, design, installation and maintenance services for air conditioning that has married performance with value. This has witnessed it develop long-term relationships with a broad range of clients including end users, consultants and principle contractors which includes the provision of VRF and VRV air conditioning, air and ground source heat pumps, DX and multi split refrigeration, process cooling, heating, heat recovery, pipework services, close control systems and energy management solutions. The Kent-based air conditioning specialist, which operates across London and the Southeast, is no stranger to repeat business which has been achieved as a result of its enduring high standards and ability to deliver the right solutions for clients. However, a key component of successful contract completion is the safety of the workforce, partners on site and the occupants of the buildings in which Airconaire works. As Commercial Manager Graham Tolhurst says, health and safety plays a “massive part” in the way the business approaches its work. “It’s the cornerstone of completing a good all-round job because, from the very beginning, we have to assess how we are going to achieve the client’s objectives not only satisfactorily but, importantly, safely,” he remarks. Working as both a subcontractor and main contractor, Airconaire faces different challenges depending on the job and the onsite environment but importantly it operates a robust in-house policy which is supported by internal training that focuses on assessing the individual needs of the staff member to complement skills in accordance with their career development. “No matter how busy a site maybe, it’s important to ensure high health and safety standards remain a fundamental part of the process. The challenge is getting the workforce to understand and implement that approach and that’s where we’ve tried to develop our procedures in recent years. We’ve done that by having in-house training, as well as using an external body to educate both our employed staff and subcontractors as well as employing random site checks, particularly on our larger sites, to monitor how our procedures are being employed,” adds Tolhurst. Toolbox talks and other traditional methods of training are administered to keep the workforce informed of the latest developments, ensure safety continues to remain at the forefront of their thinking, and address any specific risks associated with individual sites. That’s crucial, says Commercial Director Barry Bradding, who explains that the diverse nature of Airconaire’s work means sites differ to such a degree safety policy must be tailored to specific risks, especially when it isn’t just staff involved but the public as well. “We recently completed a major scheme as principle contractor in London in an environment that was fully occupied,” remarks Bradding. “We had weekly meetings with those persons working within that building to ensure they were aware of where and what we were doing. It helped them to understand why areas had to be cordoned off and how long there would be a safety risk. Once you bring them into the conversation they have a much greater understanding of the risks involved and how we can better deal with those risks so that no one gets hurt.” Indeed, communication is key to a successful health and safety policy. “Meetings prior to the project will take place looking at all aspects of safety, particularly any business-critical risks that may include occupants of the building, educating our staff on those risks. Continual assessment of those plans will take place while we closely liaise with the client so that our procedural approach is mutually beneficial to all parties,” adds Tolhurst. Airconaire, which saw one of its project managers win a monthly health and safety award from a main contractor on a refurbishment scheme in London recently, is also proudly accredited to CHAS and Safe Contractor. “Health and safety is such a key part of getting repeat business these days,” concludes Tolhurst. “By ensuring the safety of our operatives and of anyone else working in and around our works, we are confident we can develop long-lasting relationships with clients.”
The construction industry continues to be defined by collaboration; the length of the supply chain often proves critical when it comes to contractors’ ability to carry our quality workmanship, and in a safe and conscientious manner. Adept in design, construction, installation and maintenance, appropriate across industries, Alliance Group Solutions quickly puts to rest the age-old dilemma and, by maximising its construction capabilities, offers clients minimal risk. With three specialist strands dedicated to contracting, flood defence and consultancy, the Kirkby-in-Ashfield based company is well-versed in the interdisciplinary approach and, defined by its plurality, can effectively carry a project from inception to sign-off. With an array of services, Alliance Group Solutions is capable of a great many feats and perhaps adds the most value as an end-to-end service provider. It’s with the interaction and collaboration between each of its distinct, subsidiary businesses that the company is able to deliver on quality as well as cost. With quality and cost the principal deciding factors for any client, Alliance Group Solutions continues to attract a great variety of customers in both the public and private sector, on a one-off and long-term framework agreement basis. For clients looking for flexibility and cost competitiveness, there is little to rival the company’s spectrum of services and, it’s with that, Alliance Group Solutions secures contracts with major, blue chip organisations and high profile clients. A recent project saw the company work with a client working on behalf of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), its raft of services adding significant weight to its initial contract. John Mattinson, Marketing and Development Director at Alliance Group Solutions details further: “What began as a contract centred on a vehicle wash facility subsequently became a showcase of just what we’re capable of. In the first instance, we had to meet a number of challenging criteria to win the contract, and were charged to ensure the site was serviced to the highest degree. The contract also incorporated major water and drainage construction and saw us conduct lighting installation work, install interceptors on the vehicle wash, a waste water treatment plant and create a large, vehicle manoeuvring facility to provide better access and mobility for the client’s heavy-duty vehicles. Worth £750k, the job also allowed us to flex our consultancy muscles and make use of the new surveying technologies we’ve recently developed.” Indeed, over the last six months, Alliance Group Solutions has developed in-house surveying services and, with the aid of pioneering software, is now equipped to carry out land, property-level, flood, topographical and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys. This latest addition comes alongside the company’s prolonged investment in highway design and terrain modelling software as well as hydraulic modelling software, developments which have seen Alliance Group Solutions go from strength to strength and the company now boasts a breadth of consultancy services, including: project management, procurement and technical reporting, cementing its lead in project delivery. Committed to minimising partnership with sub-contractors from the very beginning, Alliance Group Solutions has only solidified its identity as a one-stop-shop further which provides both competitive edge and significant advantage to clients: “Our ability to deliver a total project without recourse to third parties allows us to control quality as well as ensure our strict codes of practice are being adhered to. For us, health and safety will always come first. One accident, serious or worse, can spell the end of a company as well as being totally unacceptable from a people point of view. By taking on a whole job, we prevent the risks associated with interfacing and operating to multiple standards, and require significantly less operatives on site therefore reduce the opportunity for accidents to happen.” In rare cases where the company works alongside others (during projects that require specialist services that Alliance Group Solutions is unable to support), partners are fully-briefed from the outset, undergo induction, are provided daily instruction, and are audited by the group’s site management team. Also vetted at a procurement stage, third parties are considered against Alliance Group Solutions’ health and safety and environmental standards, alongside proposed costs. Despite undergoing major investment, diversification and expansion over the years, Alliance Group Solutions’ dedication to safe contracting has remained and the company has retained OHSAS 18001 accreditation and membership with CHAS. Though, by and large, expressing its will to do better by its operatives, membership with the leading health and safety association has, too, rapidly sped up the tendering process and bestowed the company nationally-recognised esteem. “The robust framework and criteria you have to meet make it a badge of honour for contractors like ourselves”. “With the support of accreditation, we’re able to come into our own during bidding. All our investment is geared toward penetrating the marketplace and membership with CHAS is very much a part of that drive.” With a holistic approach to service delivery, Alliance Group Solutions continues to demonstrate its understanding of the market and regularly outstrips rival companies on account of its all-encompassing capacity, each stage imbued with quality and transparency. Enjoying organic growth, the company is looking to widen its customer base and, as it does so, will look to increase its expertise. John Mattinson states “We are a growing company working up and down the country across a great range of projects”. “There are a number of opportunities to come and join us for people at all stages of their careers, particularly new trainees, apprentices, graduates and experienced site operatives. People are our biggest asset and, for anyone as excited about the industry as we are, the message is very much to come and talk to us.”
