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Company's dedicated approach to health & safety is recognised with wins at prestigious industry awards
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Kier Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent City Council's housing maintenance provider, has won its third consecutive Gold award at the prestigious RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards 2011.
A broad range of health-related schemes has been adapted by Kier Stoke including an initiative it launched to help its workers quit smoking, which led to the company obtaining a Breathe Easy Award for its efforts. Additionally, as well as monitoring the health of its employees, it regularly evaluates Accident Incident Rate (AIR) levels, designed to send every operative home safely at the end of each working day. In the last 12 months, Kier Stoke has reduced its AIR rate from 563 to 276, which is considerably lower than the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) benchmark.
Across Kier Building Maintenance, health & safety strategies have been brought in to reduce incidents, minimise costs and make the overall working environment safer. A strong commitment to health & safety from all levels of management has ensured the entire workforce is working safely with accident reporting procedures closely adhered to.
As members of the Staffordshire and Shropshire Working Well Together Group, Kier Stoke helps to raise the awareness of smaller contractors by organising health & safety events and training in co-operation with the HSE and other larger employers. Furthermore, the company has taken an innovative health & safety approach to working at heights by ensuring all work is only undertaken by specially trained operatives using specialist equipment.
Kier Stoke safety, health and environment (SHE) co-ordinator, Suzanne Bradley, said: "Kier Stoke is delighted to have won a Gold RoSPA award for the third year running, as well as achieving the Merit in the BSC International Safety Awards. It is imperative for a company of our size to have strong health & safety practices in place, especially with the building repair and maintenance work we do."
RoSPA's awards manager, David Rawlins, said: "RoSPA firmly believes that organisations that have demonstrated their commitment to continuous improvement in accident and ill health prevention deserve recognition. Kier Stoke has shown that it is committed to striving for such continuous improvement and we are delighted to honour it through the presentation of an award."
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), a registered charity promoting safety and the prevention of accidents, launched its awards programme 55 years ago. The scheme looks not only at accident records, but also entrants' overarching health & safety management systems, including important practices such as strong leadership and workforce involvement.
The RoSPA achievement follows another recent win for Kier Building Maintenance in the west as Kier Stoke and Kier Building Maintenance Liverpool were successfully awarded a Merit at the International Safety Awards for its over 50 out of 60 score by the British Safety Council (BSC).
More than 600 companies from across the world apply for the BSC's International Safety Award each year. It recognises and rewards organisations that show a real commitment to improving corporate health & safety, and is acknowledged by the HSE as a powerful motivator for achieving high safety standards.
In Kier Building Maintenance Liverpool, promotions, road shows and 'toolbox' talks help the company communicate with its employees and drive home the importance of increased awareness of health & safety issues. An occupational health service is also in place to benefit the health and fitness of all employees; this is supported by the Kier Group SHE management system, which has procedures for ensuring health at work, particularly around dust, noise, vibration, sharps and asbestos.
Contact Information
Rachael Hunter
Acceleris Marketing Communications
Town Centre House
Cheltenham Crescent
Harrogate
HG1 1DQ
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