The Northstone Materials contribution to the European Week of Safety and Health in 2010 was to hold a Preventing Accidents Day on 27 October 2010 in keeping with other Northstone Divisions.
The event was organised to address the deterioration in our accident rate in 2010 and was supported by the Health and Safety Executive. The underlying concept was that every employee and sub contractor at Northstone Materials can choose to make a personal commitment to prevent accidents. This means that we accept and implement our personal responsibilities for our own health and safety as well as the health and safety of work colleagues, sub contractors and members of the public.
A relevant tool box talk was delivered in advance of the Day with posters also distributed to all sites and work locations. On the 27 October 2010, a director or manager visited each workplace and engaged at least four employees or sub contractors in a conversation about how the contribution they can make will prevent accidents.
This information from those involved at the Northstone Materials division has now been collated and passed to Brian Watt, the divisional Health and Safety Director to review and use to improve health and safety standards from concrete plants and the tile factory to road contracts and quarries across the division to prevent accidents.
In the Materials Division many suggestions were received from our people as Brian Watt explains;
“I have reviewed the suggestions made as to how we prevent accidents in the Materials Division. Each of them has merit as they have been obtained by involving our people in the management of health and safety at their workplaces. The suggestions included improving the control of customers and visitors at our quarries, enhancing the communication between the weighbridge and loading shovel drivers, better specification of personal protective equipment for specific tasks and ideas for improving access for several maintenance tasks.”
Northstone Chief Executive, Mark Lowry, was also supportive of the benefits accruing from the Preventing Accidents Day;
“I think it is always good that each of us takes time to think about how we can make a contribution to prevent accidents. This may be something as simple as making sure we know the main elements of risk assessments or reporting unsafe conditions more quickly. What I want is for every Northstone employee and sub contractor to play a part and be actively involved in health and safety at their respective work places. The Preventing Accidents Day on 27 October 2010 is an excellent way to start this process. I look forward to reviewing each and every health and safety improvement suggestion made on the Day as nothing is more important at Northstone that we cannot take time to do it safely. Well done to all for making the Preventing Accidents Day such a success”.
