HEALTH , SAFETY & WELLBEINGTHE SEEDS OF CHANGE

We have introduced The Seeds of Change Initiative as a direct response to the changing face of health and safety within the construction industry. Where once profit and price were king, health, safety, quality workmanship and experience are now the first things a client looks for.We stand with the rest of the industry in striving for change and we are demonstrating our crusade by use of a tree to inform and share our vision for a safer future - we call this the Health & Safety Foundation Tree.

The tree represents our seeds of change in covering all aspects of health and safety, including mental health, and our commitment to constantly striving for new initiatives to make for a safer working space.

From the roots of our health and safety structure to the seeds of change, our tree is the overarching foundation of our business, and within this guide we will outline how each of the elements of this tree come together to form our health and safety platform.

THE SEEDS OF CHANGE

The Roots represent the stability of the tree which keep it standing. This demonstrates the core of why health and safety is important and is where our journey begins.

The Trunk supports the tree’s structure. This represents the strength of our health and safety ethos.

The Branches represent the channels in which we drive health and safety – the protection and key policies that we follow.

The Leaves represent our employees and their commitment to providing feedback; each playing their part by championing our health and safety policies by ensuring their working environments are safe.

The Bud represents our blossoming attitude we uphold on the subject of health and safety and the training opportunities we provide to our employees to enhance their knowledge.

The Flower represents the mental health support we give to our employees by providing them with a platform to “open up”.

The Seeds represent the safety accreditations from which our health and safety initiatives are developed, and how we are always further evolving and improving our policies to meet health and safety standards.

The Health & Safety Foundation Tree The various elements within the Health & Safety Tree represent each approach we are taking to create a safe environment for our employees. Each part demonstrates how the tree makes up the structure of our health and safety initiative, and how they all work together to achieve stability, strength and support.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

roots: INTRO

of work-related ill health in the construction industry reported musculoskeletal disorders

The largest cause of fatal injury in the construction industry was falling from height

reported stress, depression or anxiety

62%

25%

By definition working at height is a dangerous activity, therefore it is imperative that this danger and associated risks are mitigated and managed. Health and Safety is in place for everyone’s safety and wellbeing, and this guide will take you through every element of our Seeds of Change Initiative.

We are constantly reviewing and updating our health and safety approach and offer weekly training and Toolbox Talks to our staff. Health and safety should be at the root of any business and when considering the elements of a scaffolding business, this is especially true.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), construction is among the industries that have a statistically significantly higher rate of injury. 62% of work-related ill health in the construction industry reported musculoskeletal disorders while 25% reported stress, depression or anxiety.

The largest cause of fatal injury in the construction industry was falling from height, accounting for almost half of deaths, while being trapped by something collapsing was the second cause of fatality.

These statistics highlight why health and safety is so important within the construction industry and why we take it so seriously. Not just for the safety of our workers but for the safety of our clients and the general public.

TRUNK: PILLARS OF SUCCESSOur Quality Assurance Model highlights the pillars of our health and safety approach to ensure our risk assessment of every job is to the best quality. We have a rigorous assessment system called APEE that we apply to every job we take on to ensure the utmost safety, and adopt a unique approach to each project to guarantee we keep the safety of everybody involved to the forefront.

ASSE

SS

PLAN

EVAL

UATE

AssessFrom very beginning of a new project we complete a full assessment of any potential risks that may arise within our work. As each project is different and unique, the care we take needs to be unwavering throughout and approached in its own bespoke way.

PlanFollowing our assessment phase, we can then begin our health and safety planning and ensure regulations are adhered to. This allows us to develop a core understanding of the individual risks involved so we can document them and plan the best approach. Our team are then able to approach projects in the most efficient and safe way – providing quality results.

EvaluateStrict evaluation of our projects and procedures are crucial to our growth aspirations in line with regulatory demands from our valued clients. We undertake regular analysis and investigation into all our projects and highlight any areas of improvement. We keep up to date records of all training, qualifications and regulations received to better influence our assessment phase and provide full accountability.

ExecuteOnce we have compiled our risk strategy we ensure this is carried throughout our work on site. This includes PPE compliance and on-site management to ensure strict regulations are kept in place, and that all actions are carried out effectively and responsibly. Whilst the safety of our workers and the general public remains top priority, we also ensure that our projects are of a quality and professional finish.

EXEC

UTE

We provide training and weekly Toolbox Talks for all our staff to educate them on all elements of site safety from risk assessment to mental health. We work in partnership with Simian Risk on all of our safety training and a representative visits the office once a week to provide in-house training and to keep us up to date on the latest regulations from the industry.

Simian Risk is an occupational health and safety consultancy that were established in 2005 by scaffolding industry experts with unsurpassed knowledge, expertise and experience. Their extensive skills and knowledge make us confident in their ability to be an expert consultant to our health and safety practices. They provide us with guidance on the latest industry legislation to ensure we are compliant and up to date on the latest advice for a safe working environment.

We use NASC software to assess every job we take on to see if it is TG20 compliant, if it does not fit to this criteria, scaffolding will need to be designed specifically for the project to the specific criteria and regulations of the job for optimum safety. This covers areas including height, maximum loading, ties, add-on features and location.

We are strict on PPE compliance, ensuring our employees wear steel toe boots, high visibility wear, hard hat, fully body harness and have tethered tools on their tool belt to ensure nothing can drop down and cause injury. When required, we advise the use of safety glasses and ear defenders as well as sun cream to protect against sun exposure.

BRANCHES: SUPPORT

Protective boots

Tethered tool

Protective helmet with chin strap

Eye wear

Safety gloves

High visibility clothing

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Despite our growth, we have kept our family value ethos and work in collaboration with our staff to create a united company. Our people are our competitive advantage and we require their involvement in the delivery of our services. Training is paramount to deliver the best service to our customers and we employ people with the right values and attitudes to represent our company.

It is the responsibility of everyone to ensure health and safety regulations are adhered to at all times. From a trainee’s first day on site to an advanced scaffolder – they all have a responsibility to act in a safe manner at all times and to keep health and safety at the forefront of every project they work on. If one person doesn’t act in compliance with health and safety advice, they put themselves and their work colleagues in danger of injury or even death.

This is why we believe it is important that everybody is kept up to date on the latest health and safety legislation and puts this into practise. Our employees are representatives of our brand and we expect them to represent our health and safety approach, and attitude.

Our scaffolding is constantly monitored and inspected throughout the working process such as installation, regular intervals throughout the duration of the scaffolding erection, and following any circumstances where we are concerned about the safety of the structure – for example high winds.

If there is any cause to be worried about the structure following severe weather or any other incident, we respond as quickly as possible to have somebody on site to secure the issue. It is of the utmost importance to us to avoid any kind of injury or danger to our employees or the general public.

We encourage all our employees to be vigilant throughout the process and report any concerns they have. Their regular training educates them on identifying any issues and to look out for each other on site.

leaves: working together

All of our workers are sent on a CISRS Operative Training Scheme (COTS) course before they work on any project. The course teaches the basics of the industry and how to work safely with scaffolding and access equipment.

The Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS) has been the industry recognised scaffold training scheme for over 40 years.

Our scaffolders are put through training every five years to ensure their CISRS card is up to date, from trainee level all the way up to advanced. Qualifications are displayed on a photo identification card which proves each of our employees are fully trained, are safe and are up to date on the latest regulations for their job role.

Our training software monitors all of our employees and flags up anybody who is due refresher training. Nobody steps onto site until they have adequate training and a CISRS card.

Our site managers also attend a CITB Site Manager Safety Training Scheme training. The SMSTS training qualification provides current and new managers an understanding of planning, organising, monitoring, controlling and administering construction safety.

Training is of the utmost importance for us and we also provide training on subjects including; Manual Handling, Harnessing and Tool Tethering. Our weekly Toolbox Talks ensure our employees are kept up to date on every aspect of health and safety and can learn information and methods they can take onto site to provide a safe working environment.

BUDs: TRAINING

"The Health and Safety of our clients, the public and our employees, remains the priority of our business."

Every year more than 400 construction workers commit suicide. Stress, anxiety and depression also account for a fifth of all work-related illnesses and a quarter of all work related illness in the construction industry. 3 in 4 suicides are male and suicide is the biggest killer of young people aged 20-35.

These shocking statistics prove the importance of mental health support and as part of the construction industry, we have a responsibility to look after our workers and ensure they feel they can open up and talk about how they are feeling. Talking through issues is one of the most important elements of combating depression and suicide, and we educate our workers on identifying the symptoms and where to go for help. We even provide advice on helping friends or colleagues who may need help.

Stress and anger can also be a huge health issue, mentally and physically. Stress can cause damage to the immune system and heart, increase chances of serious health problems and reduce life expectancy. Stress is also responsible for half of all long-term absences from work so it is in the best interests of both ESS and our employees to ensure we educate on spotting the signs and making positive changes.

We provide mental health training and support through our partnership with Simian Risk and ensure all our workers are aware of the mental health helpline. We also support the NACS Head for Heights campaign which aims to attempt to break down the stigma surrounding mental health and wellbeing. The campaign also raises awareness of the simple steps companies can take to introduce a proactive approach to tackling these issues in a sensitive manner – and the positive impact this can have.

FLOWERS: MENTAL HEALTH

construction workers every year commit suicide

400+

suicides are male

is the biggest killer of young people aged 20-35.

3 in 4

SUICIDE

"Encouraging our employees to open up and utilise the support networks available."

We are constantly looking at ways to update and improve our health and safety to become among the best in the industry. We embrace new initiatives to make for a safer working environment.

One of the initiatives we are introducing into our business is ALTO scaffolding stairs, of which we will be one of the first scaffolding companies to introduce this onto site.

These provide a safe and secure environment for climbing to height, compared to ladders which require three points of contact at all time.

The all aluminium solution to safe and compliant access between levels in scaffolding that can fit in within specific site application, excludes the need for a separate stair tower. The stairs are also fitted with handrails, toe-boards and gates for maximum safety and security.

The structure is corrosion resistant with structural quality, strength and reliability as well as being lightweight, simple to construct and versatile for a range of sites.

We are very excited about this new piece of equipment and we are always looking for ways to make for a safer and easier working environment for our employees. We want to be among the trailblazers for health and safety in the scaffolding industry.

SEEDS: NEW INITIATIVES

Contact usEmbassy Site Services UK LtdMardyke Farm, Ship Lane, Aveley, Essex. RM19 1YX

info@embassysiteservices.co.ukT: 01708 867609www.embassysiteservices.co.uk