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February 6, 2013

Proactive approach to safety pays dividends for maintenance firm

Maintenance firm Kier has achieved more than 260,000 working hours without reporting an accident, in relation to its work for Gosport Borough Council.

The firm has provided repairs and maintenance for the council for two years, and this equates to 260,100 man-hours clocked up by its 64 operatives working throughout the town.

Kier has used monthly key performance indicators and set clear targets to track the work completion rate. It also has an ongoing accident incident rate (AIR) initiative, which the company uses to support its aims of sending every operative home safely.

The firm has encouraged employee involvement in its safety procedures through non-formal methods, such as a ‘Don’t Walk By’ scheme, which encourages all staff to take responsibility for health and safety in the workplace. In addition, the company has taken a new approach to working at height by ensuring all work is only undertaken by specially trained operatives. It also ensures all work at height is properly risk-assessed and that operatives have the proper safety equipment before allowing the work to begin.

The company also ensures that only a specialist team is permitted to use ladders. According to Kier, this has not only reduced safety risks but has reduced the its fleet’s CO2 emissions through the removal of roof racks, which cause vehicle drag and increased fuel usage.

Kier regional manager David Mawson said: “The team at Gosport has worked meticulously to ensure the AIR figures stay at zero consistently throughout the two years, and this focus will be continued throughout our contract.”

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Bob
Bob
12 years ago

a new approach to working at height by ensuring all work is only undertaken by specially trained operatives. It also ensures all work at height is properly risk-assessed and that operatives have the proper safety equipment before allowing the work to begin.

Surely this applied post MHSW 1999? and WAH 2005 and my favorite Schedule 6 which reiterates the requiremenst of MHSW 1999 reg 3?

CDM 2007, 2011 require planning & competence, which itself requires training?

Overdue effort possibly?