We’re proud to announce that, as part of the Make UK Manufacturing Awards 2023, we have been shortlisted as regional finalists for the Health, Safety and Wellbeing category in the Midlands & East region!
This award has been developed to recognise progress in improving the occupational health and safety culture of the workplace by introducing new or developing existing initiatives.
Setting the Stage for Progress
In late 2021, we embarked on a mission to elevate our health and safety, as well as environmental management systems. While we already had the ISO 9001:2015 quality management system accreditation and maintained strong health and safety practices across our business locations, our goal was to consolidate and standardise those, and achieve certification for ISO 45001:2018 for Health & Safety management and ISO 14001:2015 for Environmental management.
Our motivation behind this pursuit was threefold:
- Demonstrating Commitment: We sought to underscore our unwavering commitment to the health and safety of our team members and a sustainable approach to conducting our business.
- Meeting Customer Expectations: Recognizing the growing significance of health and safety and environmental management to our customers, we aimed to meet and exceed their expectations.
- Doing What's Right: Drawing from our experiences in other organizations, we fully understood the manifold benefits of robust management systems.
A Collaborative Journey Toward Excellence
With the guidance of an external consultant, we commenced the task of updating and enhancing our Health, Safety, and Environmental management systems. Late in 2021, our entire management team came together to deiscuss ideas and provide input on the preferred approach for working with these systems.
After careful consideration, the team decided to implement a SharePoint system, a user-friendly choice. By the close of 2021, we had made the initial set of documents available on SharePoint and initiated training sessions for our managers.
At the start of 2022, we updated our legal, impacts, interested parties and risk registers from our quality management system to include all elements of the Health & Safety and Environmental standards
Continuous Improvement and Certification
Throughout early 2022, our teams familiarised themselves with the new system. Simultaneously, our consultant conducted internal audits, offering further training and showcasing system enhancements like branch-specific "home pages" for HSE matters and mobile device-enabled recording of branch inspections and checks.
In May 2022, we introduced a mobile application for our field-based installation work, marking a milestone in our digital transformation journey. This application not only enhances efficiency but also promotes health and safety through live on-site risk assessments.
We entrusted NQA, our quality accreditation partner, with reviewing our HSE processes. In June 2022, a stage one audit surfaced only five minor findings, swiftly addressed before the stage two audit. The comprehensive two-day review, followed by single-day audits at various locations, resulted in our recommendation for certification in both standards, a moment of immense pride for us.
A Journey Beyond Certification
Since achieving certification, our commitment to improving systems, increasing training, and enhancing communication has remained unwavering. We've streamlined internal audits through automation and fostered accountability among relevant stakeholders.
As we look to the future, we will continue to refine our systems and extend our training and support for our teams. In 2023, we are implementing a Driver Risk Profiling and training program to bolster driver safety, alongside mental health awareness training for all managers.
Wellbeing and Community Engagement
In addition to our focus on health and safety, we remain committed to employee wellbeing. We've enhanced our Employee Assistance Programme and are actively training our managers in mental health awareness.
Furthermore, we pledge to engage positively with our community, with plans to complete at least 10 community engagement activities in 2023.
Anticipating the Make UK Awards
We eagerly await the Make UK awards presentation evening on November 1st, 2023. Regardless of the outcome, our commitment to these measures has already proven to be a valuable addition to our business, underlining our dedication to safety, wellbeing, and sustainability.