Two million accident-free man hours Not Out
Posted: Wednesday 30th January 2008
The Integrated Alliance (lA), a consortium of United Utilities, MWH, KMI+ and GCA formed to deliver a £800m construction programme for United Utilities across the North West, is celebrating a massive health and safety success. The lA has achieved two million man-hours worked without a reportable accident. To emphasise the scale of the achievement the lA's current 12 month accident frequency rate is 0.11 reportable accidents per 100,000 hours worked, considerably better than the norm for the construction industry.
The success is down to extremely positive ambitions for health and safety across all management levels and a real drive for outstanding performance. Implementing a successful behavioural safety programme has backed the aim for zero accidents. The lA management team decided that it was time for an attitudinal step change to health and safety, shifting to an understanding that safe working environments depend as much on individual's attitudes and behaviour as good safety systems.
Health and safety teams reinforce the 'behavioural' message using various initiatives, one rewards accident free working by donating money to charities of the site team's choice so far £26,000 has been donated to charity by the Integrated Alliance. Site inspections, Health & Safety audits and feedback from the workforce across the lA indicate there is a greater understanding of the importance of behavioural safety and greatly improved spotting of hazardous behaviour.
Peter Ratcliffe, framework director, for the south region says "Health and safety is our number one priority and this significant achievement has been realised by the collective efforts of everyone who works for the Integrated Alliance."
