CSR Magazine Issue 102

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY DEC ISSUE 2018

SAVING LIVES ON SITE

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CSR MAGAZINE

FREEHOLD MANAGEMENT SERVICES LTD KAY AND CO RYLANDS ASSOCIATES LTD CONSIDERATE CONSTRUCTORS SCHEME TARMAC LTD NORTHERN GAS NETWORKS WATES CONSTRUCTION ALFORD TECHNOLOGIES LTD UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON

PROUDLY PROMOTING

MAGAZINE MANAGERS David Munro Steve Owen Luke Robinson FEATURE MANAGERS John Adams Paul Jones Terry McKinlay Morgan Matherson Mark Smith Lee Ellis INTERVIEWERS Luke Robinson

EDITOR Vicky Miller LEAD JOURNALISTS Vicky Miller Jonathan Lee ART, DESIGN and MAGAZINE LAYOUT David Lawton PRODUCTION MANAGERS Martin Freeman Polly Murphy Email editor@worldwidecsr.com Visit us www.worldwidecsr.com

WORLDWIDE MAGAZINES LTD 01924 920 878 CSR Magazine Kemp House 152-160 City Road London EC1V 2NX CSR Magazine is published by Worldwide Magazines Ltd. All material is the copyright of Luke Robinson and Worldwide Magazines Limited.

All rights reserved. CSR Magazine is the property of Worldwide Magazines Ltd. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form whole or part without the written permission of a director of Worldwide Magazines Ltd. Liability: While every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine, the publishers cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of information herein, or any consequence arising from it. In the case of company or product reviews or comments, these have been based upon the true and honest opinion of the editor at the time of going to press.

DECEMBER ISSUE

SAVING LIVES ON SITE

CONTENTS AND FEATURES

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Freehold Management Services Ltd

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Worldwide News and Press Items

News relating to some of the latest happening in the world of HSE development. Taking a good look at more info relating to the new IS045001 and a Triple ISO Recertification Win for Waste Shredding Equipment Firm UNTHA UK as well as how Ribose is first in Asia to achieve ISO 45001 certification.

Housing and Property Management

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Freehold Management Services Ltd

Managing Director Don Gerrard talks success at the ARMA Ace awards and services as a leading block management specialist and why safety is key in their undertakings.

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Kay and Co

A family business formed in 1982, London’s Kay & Co manage portfolios across sales, lettings and block management.

Awards success for Rylands Associates Ltd

Construction and Engineering

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Considerate Constructors Scheme

A Leading interview with newly Appointed Executive Chairman Isabel Martinson.

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Tarmac Ltd

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Northern Gas Networks

A profile of one of the eight gas distribution networks operating within the UK. Northern Gas Networks were formed back in 2005, and are a major national employer, with over 2500 employees operating throughout Yorkshire, the Northeast and Cumbria regions.

News on the Block – Property Management Awards Sponsorship and Sales Director Nik Trevillion talks about their yearly event and the vast importance of good hse credentials in the block management industry.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents continues to recognise the very best Health and Safety practitioners and along with a leading forward with RoSPA CSE Errol Taylor and Awards Standards Manager Matt Cryer we’ll be showcasing some of the winners company profiles as well as those directly responsible for achieving the prestigious accolade.

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Alford Technologies Ltd

Education and Public Sector

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Rylands Associates Ltd

Speaking with Abbi Seadon from Rylands about their recent results at the News on the Block Property Management Awards and why strong ethics of HSE are of paramount importance to their company.

RoSPA

Chief Operations Officer Mr Jeremy Earnshaw talks about their success at the 2018 RoSPA Awards and how they operate as the World’s Leading Provider of UserFilled Explosive Charges & Disruptors

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Senior Project Manager Simon Humphries and Project Manager Barry Smith took some time to speak to CSR magazine about their respective roles within Wates and their success at the 2018 CCS national site awards.

RoSPA

Services engineer, Ian Copeland speaks with CSR Editor Vicky Miller about their reputation and skills as the UK’s leading sustainable building materials and construction solutions business.

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Wates Construction

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Tarmac Ltd

University of Brighton

Health & Safety Advisor Mike Young talks with our editorial team about what it took to vastly improved their health and safety culture and how this helped them achieve a 2018 RoSPA Award.

WORLDWIDE NEWS Ribose becomes first organization in Asia to achieve ISO 45001 certification Secure cloud provider Ribose has become the first organization in Asia and one of the first organizations in the world to achieve ISO 45001:2018 certification by BSI. ISO 45001:2018 is the newly released international occupational health and safety management system standard. It is the successor to OHSAS 18001, published 19 years ago.

Ribose’s certification was awarded by BSI (British Standards Institution), one of the first wave of certification bodies to be awarded global accreditation by the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) for ISO 45001:2018. BSI initially issued a “confirmation of compliance” letter confirming Ribose’s compliance with ISO 45001 on 30 March 2018.

Previously, Ribose operated an OHSAS 18001 compliant management system, which has now been upgraded to comply with ISO 45001.

ISO 45001 differs from OHSAS 18001 in adopting ISO’s High-Level Structure (HLS) management system framework, described in Annex SL. Annex SL, which is also used by other management systems including ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 27001, aligns management systems processes and therefore simplifies integration. ISO 45001 also covers a wider scope than OHSAS 18001, with stakeholders including all internal or external parties who are directly or indirectly affected by the organization’s health and safety management issues.

According to Enoch Lee, General Manager of Hong Kong for BSI, “BSI has always been a proponent of health and safety management, having established the original BS OHSAS 18001 standard. Wellness and safety considerations apply to all industries, including officebased working environments. As the first organization in

Asia to achieve ISO 45001 certification, Ribose is clearly demonstrating its commitment to maintaining the highest international standards of health and safety.”

Ronald Tse, Founder of Ribose, commented, “At Ribose, our staff are the core of our company, and their wellbeing is our top priority. Achieving ISO 45001 certification stands as testament that our health and safety practices meet international best practices, and helps to ensure the wellbeing of our staff, partners and customers.”

About Ribose Ribose is the award-winning global developer of asymmetric security™ technologies trusted by industries with heightened cybersecurity needs.

Having pioneered the comprehensive approach to verifiable cybersecurity, Ribose has been named to be Deloitte Technology FAST 20, Red Herring Top 100 Global, as well as receiver of the CSA APAC Enterprise Award and Stevie® Awards for cybersecurity innovations.

Ribose is the only cloud service provider (CSP) triple-assured by the Cloud Security Alliance, first CSP to receive BSI’s Kitemark for Secure Digital Transactions, first to achieve certification to the highest security tiers in NIST CSF and MTCS, and is also certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO/IEC 20000, ISO 22301, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 27017, ISO/ IEC 27018 and ISO 45001.

Learn more at: ribose.com.

About BSI BSI (British Standards Institution) equips businesses with the necessary solutions to turn standards of best practice into habits of excellence. As the world’s first National Standards Body and a founding member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), BSI is responsible for originating many of the world’s most commonly used management systems standards.

WORLDWIDE NEWS

Triple ISO Recertification Win for Waste Shredding Equipment Firm UNTHA UK Shredding equipment specialist for the waste and recycling industry, UNTHA UK, has secured a hat-trick of ISO recertifications, with zero major or minor nonconformances.

Shredding equipment specialist for the waste and recycling industry, UNTHA UK, has secured a hat-trick of ISO recertifications, with zero major or minor non-conformances.

The North Yorkshire headquartered business originally achieved the ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environmental) and OHSAS 18001 (health and safety) standards back in early 2014.

However, the company explained that when newer and more stringent ISO rules were introduced in 2015, the team was given a three-year transition period to demonstrate an even greater degree of compliance excellence.

UNTHA UK said that it has rebuilt its entire management system to integrate all departments within the business and deliver tangible improvements that benefit the company and clients alike.

The shift came following the undertaking of a gap analysis by newly-appointed ISO consultant Stephen Lowe who was responsible for identifying the scope for further improvement.

Together with UNTHA UK’s project lead Caroline Brown, the duo have developed a suite of new fit-for-purpose business processes, introduced bi-monthly management review meetings to monitor business critical issues and opportunities, formulated weekly operational meetings, devised an annual audit schedule, embedded a continual improvement model across the entire team, and prepared meaningful company policies with measurable targets and progress tracking.

“Whilst we’ve long been proud of our ISO certifications, our previous approach to compliance looks merely like an adminheavy box-ticking exercise, in comparison to the efficiency and sophistication of our new compliance model,” said Brown “We’ve probably invested more than 500 operational hours and £80,000 into this transitional work over the past two years – inclusive of our IT overhaul – and it’s been so worthwhile,” she added. “Every single person within the business now truly understands what ISO is, the role that they play, and what it can help UNTHA UK achieve.”

The news comes at a pivotal time in UNTHA UK’s growth.

Turnover is up 20% on the previous year, and the team has recently made two senior appointments – with plans to hire another three employees before the end of 2018.

The company added that its forward order book is strong and a new digital presence is scheduled for launch in the Autumn.

“It goes without saying that I’m extremely proud of this ISO Caroline Brown achievement – it’s evidence that we’ve really taken the business to the next level and the entire team should be phenomenally pleased with their individual contributions,” commented UNTHA UK’s managing director Marcus Brew.

“We have to give a huge ‘shout out’ to Caroline who has steered us through this often arduous process, with glowing success. However, the entire ISO ethos surrounds continuous improvement, so we’ve naturally got an appetite for ‘what’s next’!” he concluded.

UNTHA Shredders Helping Paper Mills Generate Energy from Waste Two VPK Packaging Group paper mills located in Belgium and France have installed UNTHA XR waste shredders to process waste by-product including complex pulper ropes.

Second UNTHA Shredder for French Waste Derived Fuel Manufacturer In France, Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) manufacturer, Environnement 48, has increased the capacity of its waste processing facility in the South West of the country with an investment in its second UNTHA shredder.

Rabbit Waste Management Saves £60k with UNTHA Shredder at Waste to Energy Plant Following the installation of an UNTHA XR3000C mobil-e shredder in November last year Rabbit Waste Management has more than halved the energy required to power its shredding line.

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Freehold Management Services Compassion, Care and Compliance Don Gerrard began his early career in the navy and went on to work for an IT company before moving on to become a Practice Manager for a solicitor’s firm. After a fortuitous phone call revealing that Freehold Management Services was struggling, Don decided to get on board in 2010 to offer his expertise in turning the company around to success. Whilst pondering a decision to leave in 2012, he went on in the December to buy the company instead. Initially inheriting only 16 clients, to date he has grown his portfolio to an impressive 55 clients. With an Arma Ace Award nomination and the awards ceremony on the horizon, Don discussed his open and interactive management style with CSR Magazine and how he feels it has informed the continued success of his company.

Last year Freehold Management services grew by 22% which Don admits was a number that far exceeded their forecast. His company operates purely with block management, specifically residential block management with individual leaseholders, meaning the majority of the blocks are run as limited companies within themselves.

Within these blocks, he has the responsibility to oversee just under 500 residents. His main remit is dealing with insurances, maintenance issues/ upkeep and managing the accounts. He recently added to his six existing staff by employing a Data Protection and Communications Officer; he made the decision to bring her on board as result of recent GDPR changes to ensure compliance was in line with contemporary policies.

The business operates within various areas in the south of England from Plymouth down to Cornwall and manages properties in Newquay, Bodmin and St Ives.

He also has a number of properties in London which are classified as ‘admin packages only’. The responsibilities for these are to run the admin side of the business, from processing and overseeing services charges to providing the relevant consultation required for section 20s (a legal

HOUSING AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FREEHOLD MANAGEMENT SERVICES

requirement for spending requests for ‘qualifying works’ exceeding £250 for any one leaseholder within the properties). As these blocks are mostly limited companies, Don arranges quarterly meetings with directors during which they can openly discuss issues such as works required and services charges. He also holds an annual meeting with all members concerned with each respective property to present any maintenance schedules, budgets and to discuss proposed works for the next 12 months. This provides high levels of clarity for board members and residents.

Keen to promote company visibility, Don attends these meetings personally in his capacity as Head of Freehold Management, backed up by a small team consisting of his maintenance manager and a former solicitor who is qualified to deal with legalities, leases and ensures the company’s continual legal compliance. When he first takes over a

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property, he admits the meetings are usually popular with everyone attending to discuss concerns but as time passes has found less people present themselves as their confidence in their service provider grows: ‘We have

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HOUSING AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FREEHOLD MANAGEMENT SERVICES

great communication skills. In my property sector transparency is paramount.’ The shareholders have access to a portal where everyone can see the account balance, which services charges are up to date and which are outstanding which ensures clarity across the board and upholds best practice. Don affirms: ‘Communication and transparency within property management is the key to my success.’

The company’s maintenance manager and his team do quarterly inspections of the buildings to ensue issues or potential issues are logged and dealt with quickly: Don and his team work on the ethos ‘With maintenance we want to be proactive instead of reactive.’ A report then goes onto an accessible online portal and also by Royal Mail and the residents are able to give feedback. Utilising a ‘warning system’ for contractors working on

HOUSING AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FREEHOLD MANAGEMENT SERVICES

any of his portfolios so if a complaint is made against them and is upheld they receive a yellow card, if it happens again within a year they receive a red card are removed, gives both the company and residents satisfaction that health and safety and the resident’s general wellbeing is always a central focus. Don feels he operates and ‘open door’ policy so he keeps in regular contact with his contractors and will often see them office. The contractors are required to operate 24/7 ‘If we get an out of hours emergency these contractors will jump on it. If the water has been cut off to the block

or the fire alarm is going off we have duty rosters and they will be on it anytime’. He has to rely, in part, on trusted local knowledge for the contractors in London as he is a significant distance away but ensures he has locals that go through thorough checks of their skills and accreditations in each area of operation, the main bulk of which are in

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PAINT TO BE PROUD OF

IT’S CALLED STORMSHIELD FOR A REASON

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HOUSING AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FREEHOLD MANAGEMENT SERVICES

the Plymouth area where he can vet them personally.

Currently aiming for a steady growth of 10-20% per year with a view to expanding their portfolio but not at the cost of the stellar service provided, Don remains positive but grounded to his principles: ‘I insist we do what we say we’re going to do and we don’t dilute that in any way’. He generously wants to help others within the sector to improve their service provisions: ‘We offer free consultations to other companies; we don’t mind giving free advice.’ Preferring not to employ staff with previous block management experience, he has sourced ex-military and customs officers who arrive having already experienced a disciplined working background. Within the company they also have regular team meetings and have a short 20 minute training sessions so each department can gain and understanding of what other departments are dealing with.

The company pride themselves on their level of service and feel this sets them aside from potential competitors. Feeling disheartened at the lack of regulation within the industry in which Freehold Management Services operates, whilst acknowledging there is desire amongst industry professionals

for the government to legislate, Don takes a proactive approach: ‘That’s why I became an Arma member; I am self-volunteered to be regulated. Arma’s very strict with their by-laws. I’ve just had an accountant come and audit all my accounts so I can send the information to them.’ Arma runs in depth checks regarding company compliance on an annual basis and recognises levels of excellent service and compliance within the very awards Freehold Management Services have been nominated for. With his intrinsic care and compassion, coupled with keen business sense and the ability to meet and exceed targets within the industry, Don surmises ‘We will go the extra mile for our clients. I have a passion for it and that just filters down through my staff.’. 

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Kay and Co ARMA Ace Awards winners A family business formed in 1982, London’s Kay & Co manage portfolios across sales, lettings and block management. Initially operating as an estate agency, the Block Management side of the business first began in 2010 and they now offer key services in Property Management, Financial Management, Development Consultancy, Keyholding Concierge Services, Sales & Lettings, Company Secretarial Services, Insurance and assisting with the setup of

RTM companies. Natalie Rubenstein, a Property Manager specialising in Block Management, took some time to talk to CSR Magazine about her role within the business and the excitement around their recent win at the ARMA Ace Awards.

Predominantly covering the W1 & W2 areas with offices in Marylebone and Hyde Park and an additional boutique style office occupying a 25ft frontage on the ground floor

HOUSING AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT KAY AND CO

of the Google building which opened in Spring, Kay & Co have found themselves starting to branch out into Battersea and Wandsworth areas. They credit their ‘organic growth’ to the vast amount of recommendations they have from satisfied clients and their ARMA Ace Award for ‘Smaller Managing Agent of the Year’ has further added to their excellent reputation. Natalie feels that ARMA were impressed not only with their consistently high level of service but also the family-element the company has retained since Samuel Bikhit started the company in 1982 with his son, now Managing Director, joining in 1997 as well as their recurrent references to their management

as an ’asset’. With this level of respect for employees demonstrated from a senior level, it is no surprise that the company have a low turnover of staff that enables them to offer a consistent service to their clients.

With their reputation preceding them, the need for external advertising has been almost completely negated.

Enquiries are flooding through from the ARMA website since Kay & Co were awarded their recent accolade: ‘We’re seeing a change now. People are actually willing to pay more for the service we offer. We have a block we’re taking on in the next couple of months. Our fees are actually higher than the management they are currently

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HOUSING AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT KAY AND CO

St. Stephens Mansions

HOUSING AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT KAY AND CO

using, but they were willing to pay more because they are confident we will be providing a better service.’

Their low turnover of employees is also testament to their success as a company that they are able to attract and retain competent staff as they have, through experience, gained an implicit knowledge of the pitfalls of the sector in which they operate, something Natalie has seen first-hand: ’We’re actively looking for a new property manager. I’ve worked in property for over 7 years and what I’ve seen is managers are overloaded with large portfolios, very little support and their service suffers.’

As the company grows, so does the necessity for higher numbers of staff, but Natalie describes a management structure that means the service for the end-users never suffers.

‘Here we smaller portfolios with a team underneath; a senior manager, a property manager to assist with the portfolio and an admin assistant. We have support. As we grow we bring more people to maintain that small portfolio with a high level of service.’

Natalie and her team have number of strategies implemented to uphold the sensational service that they are known for. There is almost always someone in office to answer the phone and they have 3 ring policy, if no one is available within this time-frame the phone diverts Marylebone Street

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through to ‘Moneypenny’ who takes a few details and feeds the information back. She feels the fact that they are able to offer this consistent coverage to residents gives them comfort. Words that recur when people describe the standard of Kay & Co’s service are ‘approachable’ and ‘transparent’ and their client satisfaction is evident from their excellent feedback on review site Feefo, with eighteen five star reviews and nothing below four stars based on figures within the last year, with one satisfied customer publicly declaring: ‘Proactive, engaged and highly professional, Kay & Co provide a complete service and offer excellent value for money. Highly recommended!’

Having joined Kay & Co in April this year, after working for a small surveying company for over 5 years, Natalie instantly recognised that she and the company genuinely shared a mutual passion for the property sector: ‘I don’t just see the building I see each individual living there, with a deep appreciation that this is their home, and their investment’. Natalie also has an in depth understanding of the role that robust health and safety measures play in being a Managing Agent within the sector. ‘My main expertise is health & safety which is an area every property manager should seek to gain more experience

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HOUSING AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT KAY AND CO

HOUSING AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT KAY AND CO

in especially after the tragic events of Grenfell.’ With an MSc in Project Management plus several accreditations including MIRPM AssocRICS, Legionella – Certificate of Attainment, IOSH Managing Safely and SHE for Property Managers, she is well qualified to work at a senior level within a company that is compliant with RICS, a member of ARMA and proud holder of the ARMA-Q qualification.

Keen to not show complacency despite continued success Natalie acknowledges: ‘There is always room for improvement and we continue to look at the best way we can manage the building; which is why we have just brought in a new risk management system Prism.’

Prism is the second generation system that tetra has developed which allows tasks to be managed and tracked.

It has the benefit that actions can be tracked on-site or remotely in real time, which further encourages excellent communication levels between the team members.

With high hopes of further wins on the horizon at the Property All Stars, Kay & Co also plan to enter the News on the Block Awards and whilst recognising there will always be good and bad agents out there, Natalie feels that she and the company she is proud to be part of, are ready to celebrate their role in changing the negative perception of block management: ‘Winning the award was amazing; it was the best feeling ever. It just makes us realise what a good job we’re doing. We just want to make ourselves known.’  Lancaster Gate and Beaufort Gardens (above right)

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News on the Block Property Management Awards

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ews On The Block is the UK’s leading publication providing advice to flat owners, professionals and those working within the residential leasehold sector. They cover a wide range of topics within property management, enfranchisement, lease extensions, service

charges, right to manage and buildings insurance. Published bi-monthly they also hold various training events and awards ceremonies throughout the year. One of these is the Property Management Awards, originally started in 2009 to celebrate those companies and individuals who were

HOUSING AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT NEWS ON THE BLOCK

demonstrating best practice within the sector. Nik Trevillion, Business Development Manager, plays a part in coordinating the event. Here he discusses his integral role within the publication and awards in more detail.

The Property Management Awards are becoming increasingly recognised within the industry. Offering the opportunity to win an exciting accolade as well as the chance to attend a glitzy ceremony celebrating the

Employer of the Year winner: Michael Laurie Magar Ltd

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collaborative and individual successes of all, from highprofile industry professionals to frontline staff. The entry procedure is interactive, with companies able to self-certify their own interest. Entries are submitted via an online entry portal on the Property Management Awards website which opens around 3 months prior to the deadline. Judging criteria is provided for each category and the awards are independently judged by experts from across the industry.

The awards a free to enter and each entry is allowed up to 1500 words and 3 supporting testimonials. Each year there is a cut-off date with the short listed companies/ individuals announced several weeks prior to the event. Last year the judging panel included :

‘We hope that our Property Management Awards will continue to flourish and recognise excellence in the industry. We continue to work closely alongside industry leaders to ensure our awards stay relevant and reflect the changes in the leasehold property environment.’

The awards attract a crosssection of individuals with a vested interest in the sector, ranging from junior members

Mike Basquill, of staff up to CEO and Directors MRICS MRTPI UK Residential Associate Director, RICS within Property Management, Richard Berridge, to Solicitors, Facility Managing Director, Blackbird Real Estate Management Companies, Health & Safety Professionals, Andrew Bulmer, Insurance Companies, CEO – Institute of Residential Property Management Recruitment Companies Ruth Campbell, The Ruth Campbell Partnership and Surveyors.

Ian Fletcher, News On The Block are Director of Policy (Real Estate) British Property Federation reviewing the possibility to Bob Smytherman,

grow the PMA’s to 1,000 attendees, eight times the amount Chairman, FPRA (Federation of Private Residents’ Associations) of people they initially attracted in 2009. They aim to do this through measured marketing to the sector and working The first awards, held on 7th December 2009 at The Grange closely with the relevant governing bodies in each sector. It City Hotel in London and had 200 guests in attendance. is an exciting time for Nik and his colleagues as their reach Growing year on year, they attracted over 800 guests at within the industry grows and diversifies: London’s Supernova in 2017 which Nik describes as ‘Our ‘We run the Erma’s, several conferences for legal biggest PMAs and certainly our most glamorous!’ This year chambers and solicitors, ongoing training courses in will mark their 10th Anniversary and Nik is hoping that their London/Manchester/Birmingham and Bristol areas, football success continues: and social events.. We already have an enviable name in the sector and this will further be highlighted in our bi-monthly magazine couple together with CBH our events Director and our new addition to the team Louise Newton who joins us as Events and Marketing Director backed up by our I.T and technical staff.’

Health and safety is an important facet of property management.

The individuals and companies that set a

HOUSING AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT NEWS ON THE BLOCK

Regional Property Manager of the Year winner: Abby Brealey, Rylands Associates Ltd

benchmark within the industry are those that go beyond legal requirements and set a higher standard for others to work towards. Nik offers some advice to other industry professionals about how they can improve on compliance: ‘The simple answer is to consult and instruct a fully professional company who are conversant in H&S law, a company that’s professional and accredited with the appropriate knowledge and that are also members of the H&S appropriate governing body.’

He also recalls that in the last eight years since he has worked at News On The Block there have been no in-house accidents and appropriates this to a rigid health and safety policy and the fact that they also conduct risk assessments for each event that they run. They also go further at their events with their staff welfare policy: ‘We make sure our staff get home safely by getting everyone a taxi home with one of our taxi firms or alternatively get a local hotel, all staff use an internal messenger system to let others know they are home safe.’

Nik joined the team at News On The Block in 2010. After working for many years as an estate agency partner, he felt it was time to diversify and with his inherent knowledge of

the property sector, his role at New On The Block seemed a sensible progression: ‘I am responsible for selling our magazine advertising event sponsor package and off of the back of this, the contacts I have grown whilst at NOTB I now sell tailor made sponsorship’s to all of our clients at our several awards ceremonies. I have been promoted in some capacity due to my selling and longevity of employment skills coupled together with my knowledge of the industry.’

Last year’s winners included BBL Property Recruitment, FirstPort and Braemer Estates with sponsors including Lee Baron, Block Recruitment and Qube. With this year’s ceremony set to take place on 23rd November at Finsbury Square and five new categories included: Insurance Services Provider of the Year, PropTech Company of the Year, Specialist Service Contractor of the Year – Block Services, Professional Services Provider of the Year and Built-to-Rent Company of the Year, the popularity and credentials associated with the awards are set to continue to grow.  www.propertymanagementawards.co.uk

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Rylands Associates Ltd Going from strength to strength

Fire safety is one of the most vital responsibilities for anyone working within the Property Management sector, and most crucially within ‘block management’ where Essex based Ryland’s Associates operate.

CSR Magazine spoke to their award winning Property Manager Abbi Seaden to get an overview of the company and to discuss the important safety measures she played a key part in implementing in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

Founded six years ago in Essex, Rylands has now expanded nationwide and currently manage a property portfolio of over 8000 properties. They specialise in block and asset management and commercial management. The company aim to tailor their property management’s ‘personality and style’ depending on the profile of the end-user, be them elderly residents or a commercial interest.

HOUSING AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT RYLANDS ASSOCIATES LTD

One of their 65 members of staff, Abbi Seaden, has been within property management for three years and worked with Rylands for two and a half.

She uses her innate, keen eye for detail, which largely shapes her main extracurricular passion – cakemaking, to ensure high standards of working are upheld. She relays her skills within the blocks that she manages where successful health and safety practices are one of the most important things: ‘I wouldn’t want to live in a block where I didn’t feel safe.’ One example of her strong safety ethic is their high-rise block in east London, Hackney, which she made an instant priority post Grenfell tragedy and immediately Abbi chose to put in place a full building survey, instead of simply sending a sample of the cladding panels off for the government to test.

In addition to this she set about organising various safety meetings and fire marshal training to make sure residents were safe. Abbi always aims to go the extra mile with meet and greets and regular

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resident’s meetings in order to consistently promote Rylands ‘user friendly’ and ‘interactive’ style.

In addition to keeping residents safe, Rylands promote the same standards for their staff and have high expectations for the subcontractors they use. To date, they have an impressive record of no accidents relating to Property Managers directly. Between Property manager Abbi Seaden Property Managers and contractors Abbi feels communication is key: ‘We make sure they know what they’re doing, who they’re talking to and where they’re going. We hold all of our sub-contractor’s insurance details and accreditations on file.’ They ensure all contractors have an initial meeting and are fully briefed; Abbi gives an example of a site in London where one of their client’s office block is round the corner and can see scaffolding and they will feed the information back on the working practices they witness. All of their Property Managers have weekly meetings regarding fire safety, this is recorded on a cloud based system so everyone has access to reports and can easily see site inspections from previous week and fire safety tests. ‘We are firm believer that as a company we are only as good as a contractor we send to our site.’

All of Ryland’s Property Managers, aside from one,

are qualified to IRPM standards and the company is a member of RIC’s so aside from following the guidelines and procedures dictated by them, they also have quarterly meetings with the relevant colleagues who work within health & safety. Rylands ensure they carry out weekly fire alarm testing and lift maintenance testing at all their sites & log their findings. The cloud based system not only means that all Property Managers are able to have instant access to each-others portfolios, but that the communication they have stays current and relevant. ‘I’ve got a laptop I’ve got a phone and I can work anywhere I want and communicate with the people in the office.’ This cohesive team effort, helps to uphold Ryland’s reputation for service and safety, as demonstrated by their high level of accident free hours on site. ‘Our main promise as a management company is to provide the best service we can for a very good price.

People should have confidence in us as building managers to manage their home safely and to the best of our ability.

Rylands really are a step ahead of a lot of our competitors.’

For her outstanding fire safety work in response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy, Abbi received Highly Commended as London Property Manager of the Year and she has some sound advice for other professionals working within her field of expertise: ‘I would personally say to anyone who isn’t meeting their targets ask for help. Most of our Property Managers are part of IRPM and there is some fantastic information on their website. Knowledge is power.

Be comfortable, be confident. We work with fire safety managers, even the fire brigade. If you’re not sure always ask the question.’

It was the first time Rylands had entered The Property Management Awards run by New On The Block, so they were elated with their success. ‘The response we got from it was amazing…the key to my success is the support network of Rylands. I would not be where I am today without my manager. She won the Regional Property Manager of the

HOUSING AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT RYLANDS ASSOCIATES LTD

year ’. Abbi continues: ‘We are a very supportive company and all work well as a team and our directors are brilliant. The main focus of nomination was about exceeding targets and going the extra mile. The project which Abbi personally spearheaded by attending every site that had cladding, ensuring everything was in place from health and safety point of view, ensuring legislative compliance to provide a guarantee, as far as possible, that colleagues and residents would be safe and covered for any eventuality was a perfect example of a professional going above and beyond expectations.

Her award success is recognition of her solid ethics.

With her success at the awards setting a precedent for the company, work coming in from major national housebuilders within various new developments, the possibility of further awards on the horizon and the

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anxious wait for Abbi’s exam results for the member’s exam that she recently took, Rylands and their robust team continue to get stronger and Abbi predicts ‘As a company we are transparent. We are open. And we will go on and up from here’. 

PROUD TO BE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH RYLANDS ASSOCIATES

At Buzz Bees Pest Control we cover a wide area across London, Essex and the South East.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT PEST CONTROL SERVICES Include all aspects of pest and insect removal and extermination Including: Bed Bugs, Fleas, Cockroaches, Wasps Rats, Mice and Bees WE ALSO OFFER PEST CONTROL FOR LANDLORDS AND LETTING AGENTS PEST CONTROL FOR BLOCK MANAGEMENT

Call: 07813 797 339 / 0800 030 4561 Email: buzzbeespestcontrol@gmail.com Buzz Bees Pest Control

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www.londonandessexpestcontrol.co.uk

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Considerate Constructors Scheme Improving the image of construction

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he Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) is a not-for-profit organisation aiming to improve the way the construction industry’s image is perceived, particularly by the general public. It encourages everyone to uphold ‘best practice’ within the sector and inspires construction sites, companies and suppliers to strive to achieve above and beyond what is required by statute.

Although not mandatory, it is increasingly viewed as beneficial for contractors, subcontractors, companies and suppliers to choose to register with the Scheme. CSR Magazine spoke with Isabel Martinson MBE, Executive Chairman, to discuss this in more detail.

With a professional background as a Naval officer, dedicating 20 years of service to the Royal Navy, Isabel became aware of the Scheme early on in civilian life which is why she feels ‘so delighted to be part of it now’. Having held senior positions within the trade association sector and appointed Chairman and Company Director of Trade Association Forum Ltd, she was also Chief Executive of

The Giftware Association until June 2015. The Considerate Constructors Scheme had been going for almost twenty years when, in 2016, searching for what Isabel feels was ‘a fresh pair of eyes…someone who wasn’t directly involved in the construction industry’, to essentially take the Scheme ‘to the next level’ she was invited to take on the challenge of becoming the Executive Chairman: ‘From my perspective, taking an organisation up to the next level is something I’m very interested in. It’s about taking something that is clearly successful and listening to what the industry and what those affected by construction feel to move it forward.’

As she had already been aware of the Scheme before having any direct involvement, Isabel feels that it was advantageous to be able to view things from a consumer perspective and this is part of what attracted her to the Scheme itself. Her key responsibilities as Chairman are to lead the organisation and to look at the future organisation and strategic direction of the

CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING CONSIDERATE CONSTRUCTORS SCHEME

Isabel Martinson MBE, Executive Chairman of the Considerate Constructors Scheme

Scheme: ‘There have been a number of changes made which have improved and enhanced the industry’s image…we need to continue to raise the bar and encourage more sites and companies to embrace the aims of the Scheme.’ Isabel feels it is vital to continually improve the image of construction in the eyes of general public as construction is an industry that affects everyone globally.

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is a newly established brand for the Building, Construction and Engineering Industries.

Whether it’s built, designed, manufactured or engineered ...we want to know about it.

Providing a unique combination of leading editorial, news, interviews, project profiles, case studies, analysis and hard industry data we’re leading the way in journalism for many businesses within these sectors.

Offering essential reading for anyone working for main contractors, specialist contractors, manufactures, property specialist and many other organisations in the construction and supply chain industries.

The magazine includes:  News and analysis  Contract leads  Market data and intelligence  Project reports  Plant and equipment  Product launches  Interactive content for tablet users Plus much more...

Throughout the year, produces a range of features, supplements, specialist site, associations and awards reviews with project profiles and case studies at the heart of each story.

The way in which our subscribers consume our content continues to evolve – our content is now accessible across magazine hard copy, online website version, as well as mobile and very soon tablet application. reaches all levels of the specification chain, reaching an audience of contractors, house builders, architects, clients and surveyors and more.

Our readers are comprised of decision makers, professionals and end users mostly qualified at ABC1 levels of management in various sectors of the construction industry. offers excellent exposure for our many clients to new areas and sectors in which their products or services can be utilised.

CSR MAGAZINE

CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING CONSIDERATE CONSTRUCTORS SCHEME

She feels a key part of the Scheme is: ‘Being considerate to those affected on the outside and those employed inside’. The Code of Considerate Practice outlines the expectations the Scheme places on those who register.

The Code consists of: caring about the appearance, respecting the community, protecting the environment, securing everyone’s safety and valuing the workforce.

Part of the Scheme’s aim is for the construction industry itself to be viewed as an attractive career choice for the individuals already working within it, as well as appearing to be a viable option for the next generation: ’There are still areas that aren’t engaged yet and we’re working hard to attract new companies’.

The National Site Awards were set up the year after the CCS Scheme was introduced and aim to annually recognise the highest performing sites, companies and suppliers.

They are measured against the fundamentals of the Code in raising their standards in considerate construction towards local neighbourhoods and the public, the workforce, and the environment.

Based on their successes within the awards and more generally within the Scheme, those registered with the Scheme are able to benchmark their performance against others. This means information can be shared not only within a registered site, company or supplier but also across the wider construction community, which Isabel considers to be a very positive step: ‘By sharing best practice everyone can benefit’.

The Scheme typically registers around 9,000 construction

sites, suppliers and companies each year, and is therefore at the centre of sharing best practice throughout the industry.

In 2015, the Scheme launched its Best Practice Hub to share best practice, resources and guidance from those registered with the Scheme across the entire industry. It is an incredibly successful platform, as contractors, companies and suppliers alike benefit from showcasing their best practice examples, as well highlighting their brand and profile in being a considerate constructor. The Hub continues to expand year on year and has informed and inspired over 2.6 million viewers to date.

Isabel likes to champion innovative thinking within the industry: ‘We’re looking at key issues, such as mental health, illegal working, recruiting the next generation to work in construction - we are helping people understand what their responsibilities are around that, including occupational health risks, drugs and alcohol, air pollution etc. It’s about highlighting areas and looking at best practice. Again it’s sharing activities that sites are already employing to deal with these. Sharing that information.’

The Scheme also offers a variety of e-learning courses on key industry topics, which are available via the Best Practice Hub. In addition there are the Scheme’s ‘Ultra Sites’. Ultra Site registration is for those construction sites which specifically commit to encouraging their supply chains to follow the principles of the Scheme, to ‘raise their game’ and meet the highest level of consideration. Ultra Sites really are ‘beacons of best practice’.

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CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING CONSIDERATE CONSTRUCTORS SCHEME

Following a 24-month pilot with a number of contractors and suppliers, the Scheme officially launched Ultra Sites in February 2018.

They are designed to encourage greater levels of achievement, increased standards and collaboration across the entire industry. Ultra Sites represent the pinnacle of construction in line with the Scheme’s Code of Considerate Practice by demonstrating and promoting the utmost levels of consideration. They do this by actively seeking to improve, not only their own performance but that of the wider construction industry, particularly through the supply chain.

This involves establishing a collaborative working model where subcontractors and suppliers on Ultra Sites are also registered with the Scheme.

Being registered offers the benefit of being part of a scheme that is recognised nationally and frequently mandated by local authorities and clients – often a core part of demonstrating a tangible commitment to CSR. Registered sites, companies and suppliers display posters around the construction site promoting registration with the Scheme. If passers-by wish to comment, the name and telephone number of the site manager or company contact is clearly displayed, alongside the freephone telephone number of the Scheme’s administration office. Registered companies and suppliers also display a vehicle sticker showing their unique registration number on every vehicle used on the public highway.

In 2017, the Scheme launched the ‘Construction Map’ www.constructionmap.info. The Map offers a single point of reference for all Scheme-registered construction activity across the UK and Ireland. It provides anyone – whether a member of the public, future employees, or someone already within the industry – a unique opportunity to see what is happening in the construction industry.

Considering where Isabel feels the CCS fits with the industry, she concludes: ‘This is a scheme that is about how the construction industry can raise its standards and be more considerate – to the local communities, workforce and environment impacted by construction activity. It is essentially all about being considerate. It’s in the name. Other organisations out there are doing positive things but we are independent and voluntary – we can look from the outside in. It’s the benchmarking against others that means we do new and better things

to raise the bar consistently.’ With their annual Image of Construction event bringing together as many people as possible with the same cohesive goal in mind, she feels everyone involved takes a proactive approach to consistently trying to look ahead to help the industry to meet upcoming challenges and states positively: ‘It’s not about standing still, it’s very much about looking to the future’. 

CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING CONSIDERATE CONSTRUCTORS SCHEME

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Tarmac Ltd The UK’s leading sustainable building materials and construction solutions business With over 400 strategically located sites, Tarmac - a CRH company, is an industry leader within sustainable building materials and construction solutions. They are an ambitious and customer focussed company with a vision to be the first choice for customers who require sustainable construction solutions. We explore the business in more detail and learn how, through innovation and excellence, they have won a CCS Ultra-Site award.

Services engineer, Ian Copeland, describes himself as ‘honest’ and ‘hardworking’. He is a highways engineer with many years of experience in both the public and private sectors, including working on multi million pound construction contracts, carriageway recycling schemes, market intelligence and bid writing. With excellent communication skills, many years of experience and an understanding of local authority procedures, coupled with a first class honours degree in Construction Management, he has a proven track record within project management and implementation.

CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING TARMAC LTD

Tarmac work around six core values: SAFE

We always put safety and health first.

COMMITTED TO OUR CUSTOMERS

e commit to delivering value for our customers W everyday.

PASSIONATE ABOUT SUCCESS We are passionate about our business, set ambitious targets and drive to exceed them.

FAST AND FLEXIBLE We act with an appropriate balance of speed and rigour.

ONE TEAM We are all one team.

TRUST AND RESPECT We extend and earn trust and respect.

The company offers a meeting of minds between two iconic brands, Tarmac – pioneers of the modern road and Blue Circle – the company that patented Portland cement.

With over 150 years’ experience behind them, they offer a unique mix of people, technology and assets which enables them to offer the best possible service to their clients.

With over 6,900 dedicated employees, the business offers a diverse range of challenging roles and are committed to staff welfare and health and safety. They are dedicated to a ‘zero harm’ culture where everyone feels ‘involved, respected and connected’. Their dedication extends to the communities in which they work, where they strive to operate as transparently and respectfully as possible, engaging with locals and actively seeking out their viewpoints and taking action where appropriate.

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CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING TARMAC LTD

Tarmac also have made a pledge to reduce greenhouse gases, invest in energy and carbon efficient technologies and renewable energy and to using a responsible supply chain for their materials. They also strive to make a ‘net positive contribution to biodiversity and respecting cultural heritage’, with the effective implementation of ISO 14001 in environmental management systems, Tarmac is making a acute effort to minimise the impact their business has on air, water, land and people. They are also committed to using recycled materials where possible.

With landmark projects such as Blackpool’s coastal defence, where Tarmac supplied many thousands of square metres of concrete, working closely with sea defence experts Birse Coastal to repair areas damaged by coastal erosion in an ambitious 4 year and £62 million project and Unity Gardens where they mixed a super low carbon concrete for a social housing project in Spalding, Tarmac are demonstrating their commitment to sustainability and innovation.

Tarmac were awarded an ‘Ultra-Site’ award for their Nottinghamshire Term Service Contract, where their success by the CCS was described as follows: ‘Tarmac set new standards for the industry on this contract by being the first multi-site, term service highways contract to operate as an Ultra Site.

MATtest Midlands Limited are proud to be associated with Tarmac Trading Limited as a key provider of site and laboratory testing services across Central and Northern England.

Working closely with their Technical and Operational Management teams over the years we have developed a close working relationship built on mutual trust, respect and understanding of one another’s business objectives. A key element of success in this regard has been the clear lines of communications and agreement on project requirements, coupled with a collaborative approach to all works.

A particular example of this as clear evidence has been our involvement with Tarmac for the Highways Partnering Agreement, Nottinghamshire. Our services for this work often involves works at short notice to include weekends and night shift working or patterns to suit particular site requirements. The Tarmac Team, headed by Ian Copeland have provided exceptional support to our operations and have proved to be an excellent working partner in every respect.

With laboratories in Derbyshire and St. Helens, we offer materials testing and consultancy for asphalt, concrete, soil and other construction materials.

Tel: 03333 202521 Email: info@mattestlaboratories.co.uk www.mattestlaboratories.co.uk

CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING TARMAC LTD

Recognising the need for extensive collaboration to ensure overall success, the team worked in close partnership with the client, local authority and its supply chain partners from the very outset. Throughout every stage of these short duration projects the team held bespoke stakeholder liaison meetings with all those affected by the works…Working with up to 10 of their supply chain partners on each job, Tarmac completed the schemes on time and within budget, despite several weeks of bad weather. This was testament to the team’s collaborative relationship with all those involved…These extraordinary levels of communication also resulted in incident and accident-free projects.’

Their collaborative approach was described as ‘inspirational’ and they set a benchmark within the industry and were awarded the accolade as a worthy Ultra-Site ambassador.

In July it was also announced that their contract with Via East Midlands would be extended as the two continue their collaboration on the delivery of highway services in Nottinghamshire, a partnership which extends back to 2013 where an initial deal was signed between Tarmac and Nottinghamshire county.

They have also recently become the first company in the UK to begin to utilise cutting-edge planning and real-time

software technology in order to optimise road construction logistics and boost productivity.

With continuing investment, staff training, keen market research and their vast industry-specific experience, Tarmac collaborate closely with partners and communities in order to offer solutions in various sectors including housing, aviation, roads, trade, commercial and industrial building with the cohesive goal in mind that through innovation and inherent understanding, they can improve the built-up environment for us all. 

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Northern Gas Networks Profile of the award-winning gas distribution network

N

orthern Gas Networks are one of eight gas distribution networks within the UK. They were formed in 2005 after North of England Distribution network acquired the contract from National Grid for supplies to approximately 2.6 million homes through 37,000 kilometres of pipeline. They are a major national employer, with over 2500 employees operating throughout Yorkshire, the Northeast and Cumbria regions.

Already an award winning company, with National Business Awards, various customer service and employee experience awards, 2015 Gas Industry Award, a 2017 RoSPA gold they have recently won the has won the country’s

Most Considerate Site Award (project value under ÂŁ500k) at the annual Considerate Constructors Scheme National Site Awards. Their commitment to the local communities in which they work was honoured for their handling of the demolition of a gas holder on Minton Lane, North Shields believed to have been built in 1906. They went above and beyond the call of duty in this operation, contacting family members of those employed at the gas works during world war two and involving the community with regular meetings. As a result a play was penned focussing on the history of the gas holder and a local school created a mural in their honour. The CCS inspector who visited their site

CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING NORTHERN GAS NETWORKS

described it as ‘an impressive image of the industry and an outstanding example of how a construction site should appear’. Mark Johnson, Project Manager at Northern Gas Networks said: ‘We pride ourselves on being a community focused organisation and it was also such an honour to create something to commemorate this historic gas holder which has been such a well-recognised part of the local skyline.’

The company have enjoyed many previous wins as part of their affiliation with the CCS including achieving over 50 site awards (28 bronze, 14 silver and 10 gold awards) for considerate constructor scheme projects they have championed across in the North East, Northern Cumbria and Yorkshire. They also received Gold for their excellent Occupational Health and Safety record at RoSPA’s centennial award’s ceremony.

As a major national employer the company are committed to investing in their industry, keen to attract new and talented individuals to their apprenticeship and graduate programmes. They also offer a ‘year in industry’ placement for recent graduates to help them learn and utilise key skills within the workplace. Offering a diverse range of employment opportunities for all education levels, apprentices have the option of gaining a formal qualification whilst they earn which will include one on one mentoring, on the job training and exposure to wider business. Operating around 5 key values: trailblazing, empowered, community focussed, intellectually curious, heartfelt and happy the company strives to be the best in the business and to attract and maintain the most talented and dynamic workforce possible so that their values and work ethics can continue within a

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CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING NORTHERN GAS NETWORKS

The innovative utility engineering experts Just like Northern Gas Networks, we are passionate about leaving a positive legacy for future generations.

We are proactive contributors in the utilities market; delivering network maintenance and asset growth on behalf of our customers, right across the UK.

Our services include:

■ Gas Pipelines ■ Electricity Infrastructure ■ Water and Wastewater ■ Telecommunications ■ Directional Drilling ■ Multi Utility Connections ■ Concrete Services

If you would like to know more about how we could help you generate maximum performance from your assets and deliver value across your network why not get in touch?

Email: enquiries@ocultd.co.uk

Telephone: +44 (0)161 248 9922

www.ocultd.co.uk

CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING NORTHERN GAS NETWORKS

new generation once their long serving, experienced colleagues reach retirement.

Northern Gas Networks describe themselves as a ‘people powered business’ and they are fuelled by innovation, ideas and creative thinking. They are also committed to their customers and providing great service and were a previous winner at the UK Customer Service Awards in 2014. They are the top performing gas distributor for efficiency, 7% ahead of their competitor and they are committed to keeping costs down for the end-users. Operating within the North-East and covering some of the most deprived areas within the UK, they are also committed to helping the most vulnerable members of the communities in which they work and offer a diverse package of support, including a grants programme to fund grass roots schemes to a training programme. They have also spearheaded their own award winning ‘Warm Home Hubs’ initiative which addresses social isolation and fuel poverty and trains colleagues to deal with these issues sympathetically and practically.

In an effort to continually update the technology they use, the NGN are trialling the use of a robot that can travel down pipes to locate and fix faults. The robot can transmit live footage back to the surface and apply ‘flexspray’ to seal damaged internal pipe joints.

The implementation of this kind of technology means a reduction in the time it takes for jobs to be completed, from an average of three weeks down to just one, meaning we’re digging fewer holes, which in turn means less digging and reduction in damage to the built up and natural environment spoil and reduction in costs. It is also

improving safety by minimising the need to dig. As part of their commitment to the environment and sustainability they are also trialling two natural gas powered vehicles and monitoring their progress over a 12 month period in the hope they may be able to expand their fleet in a cleaner, greener way. They have also played a part in developing a faster way to tackle water ingress using a remote camera that is able to travel down pipes to spot water and simultaneously pump it out. These are just a few examples of the inventive and forward-thinking ways NGN are using to improve their service, safety and sustainability for the future. 

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Wates Construction A powerful force for good Wates is a family run construction, development and property services business dating back as far as 1897.

They have now grown to become one of the largest privately owned construction companies in the UK. With a strong commitment to health and safety and equally strong ethics regarding the importance of corporate social responsibility, Simon Humphries - Senior Project Manager and Barry Smith – Project Manager, took some time to speak to CSR magazine about their respective roles within Wates; a company with a proud history and a bright future.

Started in 1897 by Edward Wates, the company quickly became pioneers within housebuilding and used their experience and competence to extend into general contracting. Wates made a valid contribution during the Second World War, shifting their focus to civil engineering and infrastructure to supply and build major parts of the Mulberry Harbours which supported the D-Day landings. Post war, during the 1950s they began building cost-effective, concrete high rise and low rise housing, building over 60,000 homes using this methodology. As the residential market became flooded during the 1960s, they made the important decision to diversify and moved onto the commercial sector. From 1970s onwards they formed links with housing associations and local authorities as the social housing sector grew. They now focus on three key areas: construction, property services and residential developments. They also have Wates Giving, a charitable foundation which has given away ÂŁ10 million since 2008; evidence of their commitment to charitable causes which runs concurrently to their long-standing

CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING WATES CONSTRUCTION LTD

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CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING WATES CONSTRUCTION LTD

Proud to be working in partnership with Wates Congratulations on your success at the National Site Awards South Eastern Carpentry is a well-established carpentry & joinery specialist contractor with over 30 years’ experience and committed service to the Construction Industry. Over the years we have gained a reputation as one of the leading specialist joinery contractors in London and the South East for which we are very proud. Our reputation and continued success is due to the strong ethical working relationships we have formed with key main contractors and our supply chain partners. We have adapted to the needs of our clients and built a solid support team that works to deliver a professional service for each and every project.

Services

As a Company over the years, we have progressed from being a predominately labour only subcontractor to Supply & Fix. We have adapted to the needs of our clients and built a solid support team that works closely with our sites to deliver a professional service. In House design including: Complete Joinery solution / Vast experience in listed / Heritage joinery which includes removal, repairs and re-install.

Experience in all sectors of the market place including: ■ Retail ■ Residential ■ Education ■ Healthcare ■ Listed Buildings and Government Projects ■ Commercial ■ Leisure

Today’s complex projects involve not only carpentry and joinery but often major logistical challenges, working with other products to provide complete fit out solutions including: Concierge and Receptions / Engineering and solid timber flooring / Wall panelling and wall art.

■ Fully ■ ■ ■ ■

integrated bespoke furniture including multi types of materials (stainless steel, Corian, marble, granite, glass etc.)

Internal door sets from standard ranges to high-end type products, pre-finished or primed.

Bespoke and Standard built in Wardrobes.

First fix and second fix carpentry including roofs and associated structural works.

Turnkey full fit out of Bathrooms.

- in residential, commercial, educational, and leisure developments.

SEC are committed to effective quality management throughout the tender, construction and post construction process to ensure that quality workmanship is standard. SEC as a business are now a registered FSC company which is major step in “Full Chain of Custody” with our our suppliers and manufacturers, in addition we now provide our clients with an “Aftercare / Customer services” support with a newly established dedicated team within our business offering the complete solutions for our clients and end users.

South Eastern Carpentry, Heritage House, Yalding Hill, Yalding, KENT ME18 6AL Tel: 01622 813421 Email: enquiries@secarpentry.co.uk www.secarpentry.co.uk

CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING WATES CONSTRUCTION LTD

company focus on enhancing and maintaining the built environment whilst ensuring minimal impact on the natural environment.

Simon, a local to Cumbria, was hired to work for Wates as they expanded into the region as part of a long-term development plan. Simon was initially charged with ensuring a stable work-force was sustained within the project with his main areas of expertise being in fasttrack developments where he has experience with large schemes within retail including ‘live’ environments. His transferable skillset was viewed as an attractive addition to the team and for Simon, the chance to work for a major national contractor within his home county offered a fortuitous opportunity: “We don’t normally have high value works within Cumbria. So Wates moving into the area was refreshing. They made a commitment here and it was a career move for me.” The region comes with its pitfalls, of which Simon has an inherent understanding - having endured some very challenging weather in the north west and unprecedented levels of rainfall over the last year, Simon commends his co-workers for their ‘spirit of co-operation’ and continued commitment to the job, despite adversity. He also feels that it is imperative to keep the end-users of their projects in mind at all times.

Barry is tasked with dealing with large projects, worth millions of pounds, and assists the day-to-day running of the site and supervising two site managers who work directly below him. With a background as a draughtsman and trainee site engineer, he has been with Wates for 15 months and has worked on a project that has received an industry recognised award. At Wates’ site in Wembley Park, they were working within a

framework of other contractors on a mass build of residential developments, but it was Wates’ work that stood out and received merit. Barry was presented a Bronze Award on behalf of the team as part of the CCS Scheme 2018 National Site Awards: “We were the only ones on the park to achieve an award. It went down quite well with our clients!”

Having been heavily involved in the Scheme for years, Simon understands the high expectations that those working within the CCS have: “Wates have a very, very high standard of health and safety. Our main considerations are the welfare and wellbeing of the workforce and we scored nine’s across the board on inspection which is great. There is also the consideration side of the scheme, interfacing with the public, our neighbours and end-users of the project. We’re very good at that.”

Simon states that his projects have won five other awards as part of the Scheme and feels his strong professional background within construction and management has helped him support the team in ensuring that sites are fully compliant, not only in legislative terms but in going above and beyond expectations - something which CCS inspectors always look for. They have innovative strategies within the company to ensure that robust health and safety policies are implemented on a day-to-day basis and that subcontractors always have the correct support network:

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CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING WATES CONSTRUCTION LTD

CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING WATES CONSTRUCTION LTD

”It’s a spirit of cooperation with our partners. We use a stop/go card system so when anyone notices anything on site either negative or positive they can feed that back in.

We keep and analyse that information so if there’s an area that is a concern we will address that straight away.”

Due to their commitment to using 60% local labour within the Cumbria area, stringent training is necessary in order to maintain a workforce that is up to date with Wates’ strict health and safety policy and the company is committed to do this to continue their drive toward greater sustainability and supplying job opportunities to people within the localities in which they operate.

Barry explains a little more about how the socially responsible paradigm and charitable aspects of the company take shape. As part of their community give-back ‘Reshaping Tomorrow Week’ last year, for example, he describes a week of work undertaken at a rehabilitation centre for drug users and alcoholics as well as upcoming work at Penrose Probation Service where they will be decorating, doing carpentry and small building works to improve the building: “We have had 48 apprentices from the local area on the project and used 386 people as local labour in an 82 week period. We try to get local people involved.”

Wates are a company that take corporate social responsibility in their stride. It is a fundamental part of their framework and exists alongside their obligations to sustainability and health and safety, not as a secondary commitment. Simon humbly surmises: “I’ve delivered a successful project if everyone working on this site has delivered what they were meant to and gone home safely to their families” In addition to this he has organised a charity event and invited a local sport’s club along to hike up Scafell Pike. Wates will be doubling and money raised and donating it to a local hospital.

Wates are advocates of a ‘zero harm’ approach, from inviting the Environment Agencies onto one of their sites prior to commencing work, to their industrybeating statistics for accident free hours, to their continual investment in health and safety training, their commitment to offering job opportunities in places of high unemployment like the north west and efforts to improve facilities for local charity and community groups. But it goes further than this. It isn’t just about zero harm as this would mean it is about simply eliminating negative impact. Wates, instead, nurture a positive impact and continually sustain and improve their approaches within construction and development to create the most positive impact possible. 

Established since 1989 PROUD TO WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WATES

Atlas Concrete Ltd are one of the leading experts in all types of pre-stressed and pre-cast concrete.

Product quality, customer service and customer satisfaction are all very high on our agenda.

Based at our production plant in Cumbria we have the facilities, skills, expertise and experience to offer you whatever you need to both the Agricultural as well as the construction sector throughout the UK. We have built up an enviable reputation for high quality and reliability.

Part of the D.A. Harrisons group, we have the added advantage of owning our own haulage division, quarries and batching plants which are all situated very close to the manufacturing site, this ensures we always have complete control over the quality of the concrete delivered and can offer very competitive rates.

Examples of our products can be seen throughout the country and there are many examples within our website. You can contact our team who will be happy to discuss your project and requirements by calling us:

Tel: 016973 32585 Accounts: 016973 42277 Email: info@atlasconcrete.co.uk www.atlasconcrete.co.uk Solway House, Silloth Airfield, Silloth, Wigton, CA7 4NS

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PUBLIC SECTOR AND EDUCATION BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY

RoSPA Celebrates a Century as the UK’s Leading Safety Organisation

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he Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

This achievement will be celebrated with their 61st annual Health and Safety award ceremony. With over 2000 businesses taking part, this year’s event is set to be the biggest in the organisation’s history.

RoSPA was founded during the First World War blackout conditions in 1916, which were brought into place to reduce visibility for overhead enemy bombers. Their first evidencebased campaign encouraged pedestrians to face oncoming traffic and accidents were cut by 70 per cent.

The company’s headquarters is Edgbaston, Birmingham and they have satellite offices in Cardiff and Edinburgh.

This allows them to cover the entirety of the UK with the support of 113 employees, freelance experts and thousands of volunteers. They have a growing number of customers, organisation members and award winners around the

Mediterranean and in the Middle East.

This success has led them to continue working on road safety and expand their mission to include workplaces, homes, leisure, schools and colleges.

The organisation is funded through safety-based commercial services including, advanced driver training, qualifications, inspections, consultancy, events and awards.

The money raised funds their charitable research, policy development, advocacy and safety campaigns.

In July this year, RoSPA appointed its new CEO, Errol Tayler, who gave some background on this time at the company, he said, “I joined RoSPA in 2004 – 13 years ago – with an international marketing background. I was promoted to deputy CEO two years later and appointed chief executive on July 1, 2017. I’m a qualified engineer with a passion for understanding evidence and the most effective ways of preventing serious accidents.”

CITY AWARDS UNIVERSITY 2018 PUBLIC SECTOR AND EDUCATION BIRMINGHAM RoSPA

The passion he speaks of can be found in every member of the organisation, which is why they have been at the forefront of safety for the past century. As evidenced by Awards Standards Manager, Matt Cryer’s passionate response, “I joined RoSPA in 2007, working in the in-house events team, helping create and deliver RoSPA’s events – including the annual ceremonies for the RoSPA Awards.

“In 2013 I moved to work on developing the awards programme, progressing to my current role of standards manager for the RoSPA Awards in 2016. I’ve studied the NEBOSH National General Certificate along the way, and have now worked with the Awards scheme for more than 10 years.”

The awards Matt speaks of are the Health and Safety awards RoSPA presents annually. The scheme is open to any organisation globally that is committed to improving their management of health and safety.

Each year, they see entries from some 2,000 organisations who answer questions on their health and safety management systems and provide evidence to show their systems working in action. A team of highly experienced independent assessors then grade the entries.

Entrants can either be assessed on their own merit by entering for an Achievement Award (with Gold, Silver, Bronze and Merit awards available – dependant on performance) or be assessed against their industry peers – in our Industry Sector category – which finds the prestigious ‘best in class’ for each industry sector. Finally, an overall scheme winner, taken from their industry sector winners – who receive the much sought-after Sir George

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2018 EDUCATION BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY RoSPA PUBLIC AWARDS SECTOR AND

Earle Trophy – which they have now given out annually for 61 years.

Entering (and winning) these awards comes with a number of benefits to the organisations involved as they demonstrate a strong commitment to health and safety, both in the workplace and on the road. The accolades that can be taken home from the awards can help set a company apart from the many others in its sector, leading to more customers and a higher morale among employees.

Past winners include large corporate household names, such as DHL and Toyota Motor Manufacturing, as well as numerous limited companies who are just as committed to health and safety excellence.

Over the past century, the combined efforts of educators, employers, enforcers and engineers have led to the UK’s workplaces and roads to be among the safest in the world. Through their training and consultancy, RoSPA encourages employers to encourage their staff to take safe work practices home with them, as the elderly and young children are the most accident prone. This helps reduce accident rates among their friends and family, enabling them to the do what they love safely, as well as reinforcing safety in the workplace.

RoSPA has collected NHS data that shows that falls, both from height and on flat surfaces, are the main cause of accidental injuries. This means the construction industry faces a higher risk of injury than most others, due to

AWARDS UNIVERSITY 2018 PUBLIC SECTOR AND EDUCATION BIRMINGHAM RoSPACITY

the nature of the work taking place. The consequence of a fall could range from being trivial to life-changing or even fatal. A key aspect of preventing falls is a positive safety culture, which welcomes sensible measures such as good housekeeping, appropriate footwear, risk assessments, appropriate equipment and skilled, knowledgeable and qualified staff.

Errol explained how companies can address safety in the workplace if they are struggling, he said, “Start with your own accident data and accident reports. Carry out investigations aimed not at blaming individuals but identifying the cause(s) of the accident(s) and taking steps to prevent them. The most common causes include poor information, rushing and multitasking.

Visit RoSPA’s website (www.rospa.com) for possible solutions and carry out a benchmarking exercise against the safest business in your sector. Safe organisations are often highly successful in terms of staff satisfaction, productivity and profitability.”

RoSPA works with a huge number of public and private sector organisations. Their challenge is to encourage them to share their resources in accident prevention, especially among the most vulnerable members of the most deprived communities. Significant progress would help relieve some of the intense pressure that our struggling NHS A&E departments are facing. 

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Alford Technologies Chief Operations Officer Jeremy Earnshaw talks about their success at the 2018 RoSPA Awards

RoSPA ALFORD TECHNOLOGIES LTD

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BootBangerTM

F

ounded 38 years ago by Dr Sidney Alford, a pioneer in explosive charge technology, Alford Technologies are now an award winning* industry leader in the areas of EOD, IEDD and CMD. Originally the focus of the company was within the demolition sector, but as his technologies progressed it was evident that they could have a strong military application which switched focus almost entirely to that field. Until 2016 they had undertaken very little demolition work in recent years, but this changed with their success with the Didcot project.

As a company, Alford Technologies still specialise in the provision of user filled charges and explosive disruption systems for military purposes, providing EOD and counter IEDD to the military. They have demolition wing for cutting steel for demolition and other specialised military explosive

capabilities, depending on individual requirements. They also have active research and development capabilities, comprehensive enough to adhere to MOD requirements.

With their investment in research projects Alford Technologies is also expanding and using some of their basic IEDD techniques and adapting them for commercial demining. In countries like Cambodia and Iraq the threat from legacy mines to human lives remains very real. ‘The legacy demining problem is still there, we are looking for solutions for that. Sidney is very active in right now; we have a new drive towards liaison with the demining community.’

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RoSPA ALFORD TECHNOLOGIES LTD

D L Enterprize Ltd PROUD TO BE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ALFORD TECHNOLOGIES Congratulations on your success at the RoSPA Awards Established in 2016 and with over (20) years’ experience DL Enterprises delivers a wide range of Health and Safety Consultancy services to specialised companies; Nationwide and Internationally (Kuwait) We have been Instrumental in achieving the following awards for Alford Technologies: BCIA Health, Safety and Wellbeing Initiative of the Year 2017 RoSPA Health and Safety award’s 2018 Gold Award As well as Achievements of OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001 Accreditation Reinforced by our flexible approach and our belief that ‘Nothing is so important that we cannot take the time to do it safely’ Our Skills and Services Include Development and delivery of: Risk Assessments, Method Statements, All Statutory CDM Documentation SSIP Accreditation (CHAS, SMAS etc.)

OHSAS 18001, ISO 45001, ISO14001, ISO 9001 Accreditation Internal Auditing for all of the above COSHH Assessment and Training, General Health& Safety Training Construction Health & Safety Training, Behavioural Safety Training Site and Premises Inspections, Prequalification RoSPA Award; preparation and submission For more information on our services please call Dave Leibrick - HS&E Consultant - D L Enterprize Ltd Email: daveleibrick@dlenterprize.net Tel: 07722 256742

www.dlenterprize.net

Electronics manufacturer in Tralee, Republic of Ireland PROUD TO BE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ALFORD TECHNOLOGIES Reamda Ltd. was founded in 2001 and has been developing military and engineering products for both national and international markets since its formation. Reamda has been exporting to international customers since 2006 including the UK, Switzerland and the USA. Electronics & Mechanical Reamda provides solutions in fields of robotics, embedded control systems, simulation, wireless telephony and video communication systems and remote sensor data acquisition including both radiological and x-ray equipment.

Robotics & Simulation Reamda also has expertise in the fields of robotic and weaponry simulation including various naval weapon tracking systems simulations. Reamda has designed, developed and manufactured a number of mobile robotic platforms with live weapon capabilities.

Design & Development Robotic design and development is the primary focus and involves not only mobile platform creation but manipulator and actuator design and control for use in a multitude of applications.

Our Services and Robitic Products include Reacher / R-Evolve /Remote Distruptor Platforms Riddler / Deployable Surveylance/Digital Hobo Upgrades Naval Gunnery Simulators Reamda Ltd Monavalley Business Park, Tralee, Co. Kerry Ireland Tel: +353 (0)66 7120500 Fax: +353 (0)66 7117475 Email: info@reamda.com Website: www.reamda.com

RoSPA ALFORD TECHNOLOGIES LTD

Jeremy mentions their collaboration with various charities and de-mining companies such as Halo Trust, Mine Action Group and Danish Church Aid as well as with government as what he describes as the ‘legacy mining problem’ in areas that have suffered military conflict is still a global issue that needs addressing.

‘I have been a permanent employee for 3 months, worked as consultant and contractor since 2016, but I have known of Alfords, and Alford’s products in my capacity as a military officer in Royal Engineers, where I worked in bomb disposal and search.’

As he is a Civil engineer by trade, he had a good idea of building structures. And that along with his Senior Programme Manager qualifications he has skills in bomb handling and disposal, intense training by military and leadership qualities. Of his specific skillset Jeremy says that he is: ‘Generalist in approach but I also have the technical understanding. Generalist civilian application with direct application through knowledge.’

Between Malaysia and the UK, there are fourteen people employed by the company who are currently engaged in this very busy time for Alford’s. They are working on two projects for the MOD as well as working on developing and modifying their current technologies to develop a full range of capabilities for humanitarian demining and are

set to deploy to Australia at the end of the month to work on a demolition project using remotely operated vehicles.

Alford’s Technologies continue to provide and supply new capability to military and police worldwide, with some big programmes scheduled to European militaries in addition to all of their usual marketing and sales activity, which due to the nature of the business is global.

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RoSPA ALFORD TECHNOLOGIES LTD

QModTM

BottlerTM

Given the potentially dangerous nature of handling explosives, safety is considered to be paramount and he is fiercely proud of the company’s 38 years with an unblemished safety record. The focus on going ‘above and beyond’ what was considered to be the ‘Industry Norm’ came with the procurement of the Didcot B Power Station project. A decision was made to employ the skillset of an experienced expert who had proven track record in health and safety: ‘It’s one area where you can’t afford to get it wrong. Whilst the team and I have had varying levels of health and safety training, the need to take specialist advice was considered to be an absolute necessity’.

Alford Technologies recently won a RoSPA Gold for health and safety excellence; a fantastic achievement for their second for their second submission for the awards scheme. Jeremy credits this to various factors: ‘The key to our success had it’s foundations in our unblemished health and safety record but was also further enhanced by the ways in which the company has developed and the robust processes we now have in place.’ The services of an external consultant, enhanced by our recent achievement of OHSAS 18001, maintaining and managing routine inspections, increasing levels of awareness and skills within the team, seeking out new,

RoSPA ALFORD TECHNOLOGIES LTD

BottlerTM

relevant and consistent training are key to maintaining the health and safety standards that Alford Technologies have set a benchmark for. The passion to become industry leaders in health and safety followed on from our outstanding success in the delivery of the Dicot project: ‘It’s all too easy in a company of our size to maintain basic levels of training and to leave it there in the background, but the key is to keep looking above and beyond basic levels of ‘compliance’. We now maintain a robust internal and external auditing system to ensure that regular checks and reviews are in place to evaluate which steps we can take to improve our own practices and share them with others.’

Being awarded a RoSPA gold has improved Alford’s commercial profile: ‘In the eyes of the demolition industry this is something we should be proud of. It is something people take heed of when we’re in the early stages of procurement.

Working in line with ISO 14001 and the routine scrutiny of their own robust audits process, Alford Technologies gives a high priority to environmental awareness at all times, with their new build projects at their test evaluation centre designed to ensure minimal impact on the surrounding environment and the bigger environmental picture ‘Broadmead Quarry, our test and evaluation site is a recognised area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB),

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RoSPA ALFORD TECHNOLOGIES LTD

and, as such the public can gain access on controlled walks throughout the year. We strive to maintain it as an AONB in a similar to the military training areas around the country, all of which benefit from their isolation and low levels of human activity.’

The area supports Peregrine Falcons that have nested there and fledged young annually for over 10 years. They are also trying to minimise damage to the landscape and their latest explosive traverses uses timber and soil fill instead of concrete and steel, which is the norm. This means they can actually plant them up so they can add to the green instead of being a concrete slab.

Working in and around demolition and regularly handling explosives, the team at Alford Technologies have proven they are a step ahead with regards to health and safety practice. Considering advice that could benefit others in the industry Jeremy offers: ‘Firstly seek advice take advice, there is always someone that knows more than you...Don’t forget common sense.

The majority of health and safety is about operator common sense. As people fall back more and more on guidelines across the industry, they stop using common sense. It is vital: Foster common sense and thought.’

Aside from the technologies they supply to military and police worldwide, one company closer to home that Alford’s have worked closely with in the past is AR Demolition

RoSPA ALFORD TECHNOLOGIES LTD

MiniModTM

and they have a small project on the horizon for them. AB Precision manufacture lots of different capabilities for the military as well as robots or remotely operated vehicles (ROV’s) – these were used on the Didcot Project and will be used in the demolition of a power station in Australia. They also credit the Irish company REAMDA for being hugely supportive in terms of remotely managed demolitions and have been critical to help Alford’s develop their own robotic skills.

Their recognised industry success means that Alford’s are well received in terms of prequalification when it comes to new clients and projects: ‘We provide highest standards in terms of capability and approach to being safe. We strive hard. Demolition aside we work in a very niche area. But when you work for MOD you have to provide the highest standards or you get nowhere near them.’

Looking to the future, Jeremy hopes for Alford Technologies to maintain and grow their customer product base, grow and expand their demolition capability nationally and globally. The company will also be developing and growing their capability to support humanitarian demining throughout the world, using their innovation within technologies as a force for good to support people living in areas that have suffered conflict where the legacy of mining poses a very real threat to life on a daily basis.  * Construction News Specialist Award for Business Innovation 2017

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The University of Brighton A vastly improved health and safety culture leading to a 2018 RoSPA Award.

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he University of Brighton’s history dates back as far as the 1850s when it began as a school of art in the kitchens of the Royal Pavilion. It has grown significantly as an educational institution since those early days, gaining university status in 1992 alongside many other polytechnics and now comprises a community of 21,000 students and 2,800 staff based across five campuses in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings. With an array of facilities from on-site children’s nurseries, sport’s services, dedicated year round conference, meetings and events rooms and a theatre as well as the research and educational spaces one would expect, the University of Brighton is a huge estate offering a mix of historic, modern & purpose built areas, with 7,000 students graduating from hundreds of courses each year. Mike Young, Health and Safety Advisor within Accommodation and Hospitality Services spoke to CSR Magazine to discuss the work that

goes into keeping such an active site continually involved with health and safety policy as well as his department’s recent win at the RoSPA awards.

Beginning his career within Brighton and Hove City Council as an administrator within Home Care, his first encounter with Occupational Health & Safety occurred somewhat by chance after moving to the central Health and Safety team through the council’s redeployment programme. There, he worked with schools and children’s services, libraries, museums, the Royal Pavilion, the housing department as well as City Clean who deal with refuse and recycling and City Parks who look after public green spaces within the locality. He then moved onto his current role at the University of Brighton in their Accommodation and Hospitality Services department in 2015.

His arrival within the department coincided with the University’s decision to have a health and safety advisor

EDUCATION AND PUBLIC SECTOR BRIGHTON UNIVERSITY

tasked with embedding policy within the department as a whole and so began several years of auditing to identify areas in which improvements needed to be made. Recommendations from these audits were put into action plans and passed on to managers and Mike provides a supporting role in order for them to put these recommendations in place, such as supporting managers to carry out risk assessments and delivering training programmes. They also ran the ‘Health and Safety Climate Tool’ from the ‘Health and Safety Laboratory’ within the first couple of months of Mike arriving. This is a survey sent to all staff which gauges the ‘climate’ of health and safety and identifies key areas that staff themselves feel need

improving. Results were put into action plans and tracked through senior management team meetings.

‘I think one of the most important things is getting everyone involved. We found that we could make improvements based on what staff felt needed to be done. So it vastly improved the health and safety culture.

It isn’t seen as a chore or a burden as perhaps it may have been before.’

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EDUCATION AND PUBLIC SECTOR BRIGHTON UNIVERSITY

The department in which Mike operates has a Health and Safety Policy outlining the framework that needs to be adhered to and the strategic targets for the timeframe that it covers. There is also a central Health and Safety team within the University who have a wider policy to work towards on site, which is outlined on the University of Brighton website.

Accommodation & Hospitality Services require managers to put together a risk profile with their teams by consulting with staff to identify key hazards and put in place control measures to protect them from the risks they have identified together through consultation and Below: Halls of Residence

EDUCATION AND PUBLIC SECTOR

BRIGHTON UNIVERSITY

team work. Mike believes: ‘The foundation of everything is identifying hazards,’ and he identifies fire as the biggest risk within the halls of residences, which is addressed through a robust fire safety policy.

Slips, trips and falls are the most common occupational hazard within hospitality services, either from wet floors or accidental spillages. Simple behavioural changes within the department such as using appropriate signage and dry mopping can help to minimise these common risks. He also ensures that staff are empowered by offering courses to help them understand and improve their health and safety ethics: ‘I run training for staff. We’ve got general health and safety awareness training, personal safety training, we invest in our staff. We have a number of qualifications staff can opt-into such as IOSH Managing Safely and the NEBOSH General Certificate.’

Mike has also carried out a gap analysis to identify where the department would need to focus on in terms of reaching the required level for ISO 45001 accreditation.

This is a long term goal for the department but Mike is confident that with the support of management and the team it is an achievable target. As well as working towards accreditation, he is considering what may be the

PROUD TO BE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON Congratulations on your success at the RoSPA Awards

Die-Pat is the UK’s leading supplier of specialised catering equipment, hardware and plumbing components into the foodservice industry.

Over 50 years after we began trading, we at Die-Pat – which remains a family owned business – take great pride in the standard of equipment and service we supply.

Using only the highest quality products, Die-Pat ensure that all of our products will meet the requirements demanded by our customers, including our market leading ability to design and source products on behalf of customers for specific applications. This includes our Baffle Filter Removal Tool which has been specifically designed to eliminate the health and safety risks associated with baffle filter removal from commercial kitchen canopies. Its patented design enables members of staff to quickly and safely remove baffle filters for regular cleaning or replacement as recommended in HSE Catering Information Sheet 10.

Other services and products include: Sink Assemblies ■ Sink Tops ■ Bowls ■ Wash Hand Basins Janitorial & Bucket Sinks ■ Taps & Pre-Rinse Units Canopy Hood Lighting (LED & Fluorescent) ■ Baffle Filters Plate & Tray Lowerators ■ Cup Dispensers ■ Undertable Drawers Locks, Handles & Hinges plus many, many more Our aim is to achieve consistently high standards across all of our services and products whilst maintaining a competitive edge on price.

The Die-Pat Centre, Broad March, Daventry, NN11 4HE Tel: 01327 311144 | Fax: 01327 871821 | e-mail: sales@die-pat.co.uk

www.die-pat.co.uk

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new and developing risks within his department in order to continue to update best practice. Reflecting on their silver win at the RoSPA Awards and the importance of a health and safety strategy which has been recognised for excellence, Mike believes: ‘Before we started working towards this we didn’t have targets that were safety specific, now there are. We have based them on the results of the initial Health & Safety Climate survey. We’ve run it again since and there was

a vast improvement in the results and in the number of people who took part’.

The survey was used to further develop a health and safety strategy within the department which in turn benefits students and staff, users of the hospitality outlets, services within the university and contractors.

The University has approved contractors lists and if anyone is being sourced externally they ensure that managers meet with them, identify issues and agree

EDUCATION AND PUBLIC SECTOR

mutually how to improve safe working practices.

With a new building project underway on campus, a range of university managed and private managed halls and new university space that is currently under construction and due for completion in 2020, to help to oversee the future is set to continue to challenge Mike and his team to implement and develop the health and safety

BRIGHTON UNIVERSITY

strategies they have put in place and identify any gaps in which they must improve. With their silver win at RoSPA verifying that the Accommodation and Hospitality Services team has achieved a certain standard, Mike intends to continue working towards meeting ISO 45001 and looks forward to developing his career at the University of Brighton and possibly gaining a RoSPA gold award. ď Ž

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