HOMESAFE and Sound
Health and safety is of paramount importance to leading geotechnical specialist Bachy Soletanche, as it is for most companies in the construction sector. Therefore, it is essential to strive to manage and minimise the risks encountered on a daily basis on construction sites. Whilst ultimate liability may largely rest with employers, employees also have responsibilities. In recognition of this, Bachy Soletanche acknowledges the importance of everyone’s overall attitude to safety and seeks to promote this through its recently launched safety programme, HOMESAFE.
The HOMESAFE concept is based around the ethos, ‘Safety is a State of Mind’ and is a programme aimed at improving Bachy Soletanche’s safety culture for the benefit of everyone. It not only reviews specific tasks related to Bachy Soletanche’s daily operations, but is also designed to ensure that site personnel arrive HOME SAFE at the end of the working day. Moreover, it strives to promote overall safety awareness and to think SAFE in all that we do, including at HOME.
For this to be successful, all Bachy Soletanche employees will receive an induction together with a HOMESAFE pack. Martin Pratt, Managing Director of Bachy Soletanche Limited explained:
“Health and safety has always been a top priority for Bachy Soletanche, but with numerous projects running up and down the UK at any one time we found it a challenge to send one consistent message to all our employees. Subsequently, and with commitment from our senior management, we have developed and launched HOMESAFE together with its pack and own identity.”
HOMESAFE is designed as a rolling programme and this first edition is being launched through two presentations to the management teams based on site around its southern office in Alton, Hampshire and its northern office in Burscough near Preston. Also in attendance are associate companies Westpile and Vibro.
The launch for those in the South area took place on April 25 in Bracknell. Martin Pratt spoke at the launch and commented:
“The event was a great success with about 80 of the team in attendance. The purpose was to present our reasoning behind the campaign, to go through the first edition of the pack and to demonstrate how HOMESAFE can develop in the future to become an essential part of Bachy Soletanche’s working practice.”
In addition to Martin Pratt, speakers at the event also included Bachy Soletanche’s Director responsible for Safety, Robin Abraham, Safety Manager, Geoff Birch and Michel Morgenthaler, Soletanche Bachy’s Group Safety Manager. The day ended with a team exercise and a question and answer session chaired by Operations Director Phil Hines.
Mr Pratt continued:
“HOMESAFE was very well received by all who attended and stood us in good stead for the northern launch which took place on May 9. The next step after the launch will be for those present at these presentations to cascade the HOMESAFE message down to site level.”
Aside from the safety culture and behaviour aspect, HOMESAFE also addresses key topics that are essential to its own specialist operations. In this first edition of HOMESAFE, Bachy Soletanche will consider sections on Method Statements and Risk Assessments, Care and Maintenance of Plant and Equipment, the use of PPE and Exclusion Zones. The aim is for employees to be able to better understand the risks and therefore change their attitude and operational awareness to those risks.
Moreover, the introduction of ‘Observation Cards’ (which come as part of the pack) gives any person at any level within the company the opportunity to report an action or incident, be it an area for improvement, or an example of good practice. This may be undertaken independently of site management and reinforces the concept that everyone has a responsible for safety on site.
With this in mind, it is Bachy Soletanche’s intention that partners, main contractors, clients, professional teams and most importantly sub contractors and suppliers will also be included in the scheme. In order to do this, Bachy Soletanche will invite them to briefings, and where appropriate, will issue them with HOMESAFE packs.
Mr Pratt concluded:
“We are 100 percent committed to HOMESAFE and look forward to seeing the scheme develop and evolve into an important programme which employees and associates will value.”