Supermarket chain ASDA has signed up to the Constructing Better Health (CBH) client charter to help promote a strong occupational health culture in its retail development programme.
The charter is aimed at improving the health of the construction industry workforce. ASDA health and safety manager, Clive Johnson, hopes that the partnership will help the retailer to continue to strengthen safety practices with its construction supply chain.
Johnson said: “CBH has developed in leaps and bounds in a short time. From a business and moral viewpoint, I believe collaborating with them is of huge benefit to ASDA. Through CBH we want to put guidelines and KPIs in place to ensure we are growing sound occupational health practices with our construction supply chain. We will be targeting safety critical workers in the first instance.”
ASDA has a working relationship with 12 principal contractors, many of which are major players in the construction industry. Johnson will now be encouraging CBH membership and establishing an occupational health surveillance programme for their principal contractors and respective sub contractor supply chains.
Johnson added: “We want to ensure that our message is about safeguarding health and not threatening livelihoods. With help from CBH we want to provide a toolkit for healthy working practices, win the hearts and minds of contractors and not intimidate workers.”
CBH chief executive, Michelle Aldous, is delighted that ASDA has signed up to the charter. She said: “Having ASDA on board with CBH just confirms the growing awareness that companies have about their corporate social responsibility. Having a healthy workforce is not just the right thing to do for your supply chain, it’s good business sense. We are delighted that they have signed up to our client charter”
I wonder if they will be taking out Life Insurance Policies on the contractor’s workers. More dumb targets and red tape + free ‘pubicity’
Massimo Verdi