Erith’s ethos on Health and Safety has strengthened to form the Group’s culture of SAFETY 24:7. In practice, this requires setting an exemplary benchmark through a behavioural based campaign; whilst embedding a health and safety learning legacy and building on past experiences. Our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility is based on delivering our responsibilities in all environmental, economic, social and most imperatively health and safety aspects.

Our Health and Safety performance derives from a combination of bedrock principles and extensive knowledge obtained over many years of experience. Our Health and Safety aspirations are supported by a multitude of core values, procedural implementations and a behavioural safety programme which has been embellished across the business.

Led by our internal health and safety department, we have constructed campaigns which not only focus on the importance of health and wellbeing at the workface; but encompass a 24 hour cycle of health and safety from risk prevention through to occupational health. Driven through our ISO 45001:2018 accreditation and collaboration with industry bodies, we have formulated a series of safety campaigns – including both Safety 24:7 and Seven Steps to Safety. These campaigns have been adopted through working within the most hazardous environments and amongst the most sensitive parameters, including both nuclear power stations and the confines of the city centre.

Our behavioural safety programme Safety 24:7, is based on a presentation focused around a hard hitting documentary which challenges safety in the workplace.

Devised by our internal Health and Safety Department as part of the groups ISO 45001:2018 accreditation, the 24:7 behavioural scheme takes site based safety and behaviour to a new level. Operatives are encouraged to think for each other during work activities and the possible effects on their families/home life, should they be involved in an incident. The scheme also encourages employees to stop and think before they undertake a task both at work or at home.

Devised by our in-house SHEQ department, and as a branch of the Safety 24:7 behavioural ethos, the campaign focuses on seven integral steps in creating a safer working environment,

Following a relaunch, the campaign has been rolled out to the entire group with the seven steps being as follows:

• Plan Ahead
• Communication
• Implementation
• Responsibility
• Wellbeing
• Review
• Continuous Improvement

Health surveillance is the application of systematic, regular and appropriate procedures, which detect early signs of work-related ill-health in employees who are exposed to certain risks and acting on the results. To ensure we remain proactive in this respect, we have collaborated with a number of occupational health advisors who provide monitoring for all staff. Monitoring involves the testing of some of the following:

• Eyesight
• Hearing
• Diabetes
• Blood

Schemes with an extensive contract life have seen Occupational Health and Safety Nurses situated on-site; providing employees the opportunity to drop-in and receive advice on health related issues. This facility in recent times has proved beneficial in the synergy between operative health related issues and their associated trades.

To remain at the forefront of the industry’s health and safety elite, we benchmark ourselves regularly against industry peers. Within the last 12 months our approach and commitment has been recognised across the industry and we have been awarded consequently with the following prestigious accolades: