Is your Company going to “Stand-down” for safety in April?

A safety stand-down for the infrastructure sector launched last year is to be extended to cover the whole of the construction sector in 2018.

Why don’t you do something similar in your business this year?  Regardless of the business sector you are in it would be good for your business to get involved. So this week I will try and give you some pointers on holding a ‘Safety Stand Down’.

We also have 2 recent HSE cases for you to look at and think about:

• A North-West farmer has been sentenced to a conditional discharge after a man was electrocuted when the arm of his lorry mounted crane contacted overhead power lines
• The principal contractor and site manager of a construction site in Derby city centre have been sentenced after workers were exposed to asbestos during refurbishment work.

We hope you learn from the mistakes of others that are highlighted in our weekly newsletters and, as a result, do not have similar accidents at your workplace.

As ever, if you have a subject that you would like us to cover one week, please contact us by phone 01458 253682, email or via our Facebook page or by Twitter.

Is your Company going to “Stand-down” for safety in April?

Last April more than 50 leading contractors in the infrastructure sector – including BAM Nuttall, Balfour Beatty, Costain, Skanska, the Environment Agency and Heathrow Airport took part in the first ever UK-wide health and safety stand-down.

Under the Stop. Make a Change campaign, more than 1,000 sites, offices and production facilities across the country took part in a cross-industry stand-down to tackle key health and safety challenges.

The event was supported by more than 50 organisations, including clients, major contractors and small, specialist SMEs. As many were also engaging with their supply chain partners, a total of more than 3,000 companies were involved in the day’s events.

More than 30 organisations also used the campaign, organised by the Civil Engineering Contractors Association, to make specific commitments on the campaign’s four target areas: mental health, fatigue, plant safety and respiratory health.

This year the event is being extended to all types of construction sites and has been narrowed down to just two issues – Mental Wellbeing and Plant Safety. Well why don’t you join in even though you may not be in the construction business and why not cover more areas for example: DSE Safety, Slips Trips and Falls, Fire Safety etc.

According to the official campaign briefing “organisations taking part are invited to make a “commitment” under one or both headings, which should be realistic and deliverable; sufficiently challenging to improve performance; measurable; and signed off by an appropriate leader.”

Stop. Make a Change events will now take place across a two-week period from 16-28 April, rather than a single day, responding to feedback that some organisations faced challenges in standing down their entire workforce at once.

Site events should be led by a “credible” presenter such as a union rep, safety coach or senior leader, with a recommended duration of two hours.

If you would like The Wilkins Safety Group to come and lead your event then please contact us in the usual way by phone 01458 253682 or email and we will be only too happy to help you.

Recommended tips on running a “Safety Stand-down”

• Appoint a “credible” presenter with whom you can plan, organise and manage your safety stand-down.
• Pick a good time during the day to hold this event. Stay away from break times or lunchtime. By giving this event its own spot it will have more impact.
• Have the meeting in an inviting place to promote free talking between the workers and management; perhaps provide some refreshments and snacks.
• Promote the event well in advance. The idea is to get your workforce to take this stand-down seriously because that way you are more likely to get a favourable response.
• Although the main topics being officially promoted are Mental Wellbeing and Plant Safety; why not cover an area of concern in your workplace. Or ask your workforce for any suggestions and encourage feedback.
• Review existing safety procedures. Do the ones you have in place work? If not, which can you change or eliminate? Are there any new procedures you could add?.
• Implement as many of the workers suggestions as you can. After all they are the ones doing the work and they may have good practical insights to share.
• Don’t just run this as a “One-Off” You should be encouraging safety throughout the year.

Workplace fatalities and injuries are costly. One major incident at a job site can put a serious dent in a company’s profitability—no matter what industry the company is in.

Safety-stand-downs are powerful weapons in the battle against workplace fatalities and incidents. Designed to reduce job site accidents, they encourage workers to take time away from their jobs voluntarily and discuss common safety issues.

When combined with a company’s safety training efforts, safety stand-downs can make a difference and boost a company’s profitability. They make an important difference, after all, no one wants to be the one telling a family their loved one has passed on

If you would like further help on this topic or if you have any topic you would like us to cover in this newsletter  please contact us by phone 01458 253682 or email.