Placing the spotlight on people, not just data.
Barbour ABI are creating a monthly series documenting the best the construction industry has to offer. Not organisations, not data-led research, but the people, those people that are championing a cause or producing excellent work in a particular field of expertise.
Our Focus This Month: Safety and Wellbeing
Figures released by HSE for 2020/2021 found that 74,000 workers suffered from work-related ill-health in the last year. 27% of these cases are for depression and anxiety, 54% owing to musculoskeletal disorders and 39% with life-threatening injuries. Both the positive physical and mental wellbeing of everyone within the construction can only lead to a more prosperous and appealing industry, with some people dedicating their careers to try and make this happen.
This month Barbour ABI is paying tribute to those amazing people that are supporting construction with a passion for what they do – keep people safe. We’re giving kudos to those who are putting people first within the construction sector through health, safety and wellbeing practice at the forefront of all procedures and policies in the workplace.
Key Features
1.
Amanda Long,
Chief Executive @ CCPI
Amanda brings a breadth of experience with respect to driving ethical business practice and championing consumer protection, and has been leading a ground-breaking Corporate Social Responsibility framework to maintain standards and evolving culture change to drive engagement and sustainability.
Bio and Background:
Amanda has over 25 years of experience working in senior executive roles for a wide range of global organisations within the commercial, social enterprise and charitable sectors. Her experience involves driving ethical business practice and supporting and building consumer protection. She has experience in building ‘ground-breaking’ Corporate Social Responsibility frameworks, designed to improve organisational working standards from an engagement, sustainability and culture perspective.
Amanda was appointed Chief Executive of the Considerate Constructors Scheme in September 2019, and was the founding Chief Exec of the Building a Safer Future Charter from February 2020. Other roles include Director of Consumer International and Head of Corporate Responsibility at Anglian Water Services.
Construction Kudos:
CCPI (Code for Construction Product Information) is a development for the construction product manufacturing sector. An extensive industry-wide consultation period ran between 1st February and 30th April, something that Amanda Long chaired, where the CCPI was reviewed to build a robust process to bring value and assurance to all stakeholders. Its focus was on culture, leadership and ethics to support a healthy environment and promote greater product performance that is reliable, cost-effect and promotes product assurance.
Resource Links:
https://cene.org.uk/event/introduction-to-the-code-for-construction-product-information/
https://www.cpicode.org.uk/news/ccpi-next-steps-assessment-verification/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/longamanda/?originalSubdomain=uk
2.
Peter Baker,
Chief Inspector of Buildings @ Health and Safety Executive
Peter has over 30 years’ experience with HSE as an Inspector and in a number of senior operational roles dealing with a wide range of industry sectors, including construction, major hazard industries and local authorities.
Bio and Background:
Considered the chief inspector of buildings as the head of the new Building Safety Regulator (BSR) Programme, Peter Baker is well known for setting up this new Building Safety Regulator Programme, especially to ensure that the Grenfell Tower tragedy is never repeated. Peter has over 30 years of experience as an inspector, with the end objective being to increase the competence of all professionals working on buildings that ensure effective oversight for the whole building safety environment.
Peter has held several operational roles within construction and major hazard industries. He was also instrumental in the reform and delivery of regulatory regimes for chemical and downstream oil industries.
Construction Kudos:
Peter led HSE’s involvement in building the Government’s Building Safety Regulation (BSR) Programme in light of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Peter’s work means he oversees all high-rise residential buildings, integrating internal processes such as operational policy, procedures, systems, and components but also recruitment of workers as part of a transformed ecosystem. All phases of his new Building Safety Bill will pass through to law, with the full rollout of the BSR expected to pass legislation by 2023, amending the currently Building Act 1984.
Resource Links:
https://www.ioshmagazine.com/2021/04/07/interview-peter-baker-chief-inspector-buildings%3F
https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-baker-437aa015/details/experience/
3.
Dylan Roberts,
Director of Health, Safety & Wellbeing @ Skanska UK
Dylan maintains a strong connection between safety, wellbeing and performance, and is very forthcoming on maintaining people’s wellbeing and how mental health must continue to be cared for within a safe, open and inclusive environment. He is a key driver in acceptance of mental health crises.
Bio and Background:
Dylan Robert is currently the Director of Health, Safety & Wellbeing at Skanska. His career in health and safety began in 1999 with McNicholas and provides health, safety, wellbeing and quality advice to Managing Directors through the identification and implementation of working methods to reduce risk and increase performance. He is involved with year-on-year strategic performance decisions and always seeks to lead injury-free environments. He is also a founder member of the Health in Construction Leadership Group.
Construction Kudos:
The last 12 years at Skanska have seen Dylan lead an injury-free environment (IFE) programme. This has seen a cultural shift in Skanska that leads the business to a future of a Safer Happier Healthier workplace and a culture of care and concern. His professionalism for spotting emerging hazards is focused on aspects of construction and buildings engineering, with a central function of watching for group-wide risk patterns and identifying plans to mitigate them. He steered the safety of Skanska’s nine UK business divisions, and since the injury-free campaign was initiated, this has seen a lost-time accident rate drop from 3.3 million to 2.8 million hours.
Resource Links:
https://www.ioshmagazine.com/dylan-roberts-skanska
https://group.skanska.com/media/articles/your-mental-health-is-your-wealth/
https://specialistsawards.constructionnews.co.uk/spec/en/node/judgeprofile-dylan-roberts
4.
Dave McPherson,
SHE Manager @ Kier Highways Limited
An innovative and driven Health and Safety Manager with 18 years experience in team leader and management roles. Dave has achieved recognition from industry leaders for his ability to influence and enhance Health and Safety Culture.
Bio and Background:
Named the winner of the SHP award for Trailblazer in Health and Safety for 2021, this award is given to those who are considered pioneers of health and safety. His instant impact on workplace safety has seen a transformative and cultural change at Kier Highways. He was Project Health and Safety Manager on the M27 Motorway Upgrade Scheme and was recognised to have made a significant contribution to the implementation or enhancement of health and safety standards in the organisation.
Construction Kudos:
The strengths of Dave and his strategy include fostering open communication and honesty within the workforce, whilst proactively recognising and praising positive behaviours and identifying actions that require improvement. His “learning by doing” ethos within social environments continues to reduce risk across major construction projects whilst increasing knowledge retention in improved skills. His strategy has overseen the introduction of equipment manufacturers, subject matter experts, leading training providers and leading academics in civil engineering, and has changed the way construction training is provided, which has had a lasting impact as part of cultural change.
Resource Links:
https://www.shponline.co.uk/shp-awards/dave-mcpherson-wins-shps-trailblazer-in-health-safety-award/
https://mccann-ltd.co.uk/awards/rising-star-award
https://highways-news.com/kier-highways-manager-wins-leading-health-and-safety-award/
5.
Dame Judith Hackitt,
Non-Exec Director and Chair @ HS2 Ltd, High-Value Manufacturing Catapult at MAKE UK
Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the government announced an Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety to ensure a robust regulatory system for the future and to ensure people feel safe in the buildings they live in.
Bio and Background:
Dame Judith Hackett holds non-executive positions at a variety of institutions such as Made Smarter Commission, Imperial College Court, City & Guilds Group and High-Value Manufacturing Catapult. She also holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College, London.
Dame Judith chaired the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety as part of a new regulatory framework in light of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, focusing on issues relating to high-rise residential buildings. Judith also leads a modernisation of the UK’s national infrastructure, with HS2 being critical to the objective.
Construction Kudos:
Judith oversaw the need for a radical transformation of Building Regulations safety, putting recommendations forward for buildings that are 10 storeys high or more. Some of the suggestions call for a framework that creates an effective mechanism in driving building safety, a greater oversight of duty holders, overseeing better management of safety risks for buildings, a robust change control process, incident reporting and effective testing and traceability mechanism. Setting out these key principles for safer buildings is currently being propelled in Government with it expected to pass law by 2023.
Resource Links:
https://www.pbctoday.co.uk/news/hr-skills-news/hs2-appoint-dame-judith-hackitt/55465/
6.
Lesley McLeod,
Chief Executive Officer @ Association for Project Safety (APS)
Lesley McLeod has extensive experience of membership associations. She joined APS in 2016 from Energy UK where she was Board Director for Communications and Public Affairs and deputy finance officer.
Bio and Background:
Lesley McLeod has extensive membership association experience and has 17 years of frontline government experience, holding roles within Transport for London, NHS and Scottish Power. She also has a degree in Business Administration and qualifications in Banking. She is currently the chief executive of the Association for Project Safety (APS), with her key concern being to mitigate the impact of sourcing materials from the EU owing to the UK’s exit, meaning a shortage of building supplies, whilst continuing to strive for greater practice in design and construction health and safety risk management.
Construction Kudos:
Lesley’s objective is to ensure construction sites are safe to work in, and she has addressed challenges with other companies across the construction sector, with the key objective to improve the long-term health of its workforce. APS has introduced life-long professional training which includes rewarding excellence within health and safety risk management and regularly practising health and safety in every construction project.
Due to Lesley’s passion for the industry, APS now has annual award ceremonies, rewarding workers who’ve committed to achieving excellence for a healthier Britain. Lesley has also written a new-look member magazine, designed to share some of the successes of APS, such as the changes to the Building Safety Bill, and regulations that improve successful diversity and equality, whilst inspiring women to look at a career in construction safety.
Resource Links:
https://www.pbctoday.co.uk/news/health-safety-news/health-and-safety-in-construction/32038/
https://projectsafetyjournal.com/welcome-to-the-new-look-member-magazine/
7.
Simon Turner,
Campaign Manager @ Driving for Better Business
Simon has been involved in driver risk management for over 15 years. His objectives as Campaign Manager are focused on the safety and wellbeing of those who drive for work, the performance of those who manage them, and the impact their activities have on the environment.
Bio and Background:
Simon Turner specialises in reducing work-related road risk, focusing on the health and safety of those who drive to work as part of the government-backed Highways England programme. With over 15 years of risk management experience, Simon has covered areas such as HSE Compliance for health and safety, road risk gap analysis, vehicle safety systems and safety in events and conferences. Simon’s ongoing support includes leading seminars, webinars, social media campaigns, public speaking conferences and stakeholder engagement programmes to lead the objective of safer drivers on safer roads.
Construction Kudos:
Simon was instrumental in the Driving for Better Business campaign has promoted engagement in a variety of ways such as website offerings; offering a wide range of free resources such as risk assessments and monitoring fleet collisions, business owners and fleet managers attending events across the country, attending webinars and making information available in the form of blogs and social media, which all contributes to promoting greater vehicle safety and driving behavioural change.
Resource Links:
https://fleetworld.co.uk/qa-simon-turner-driving-for-better-business/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonkturner/?originalSubdomain=uk
8.
Liz Groundland,
Head of Health Safety Environment and Quality (HSEQ) at Avove
Liz has recently been involved in leading an approach to health and safety and mental health in the workplace, with a ‘safety starts and ends with people’ philosophy. The end objective of this was to improve performance in the organisation, which turned out to be an award-winning strategy for the company.
Bio and Background:
Liz Groundland has over 19 years of experience in the Construction industry and has always had the belief that safety should be a fundamental objective when working in the sector. She is currently the Head of Health Safety Environment and Quality (HSEQ) at Avove, with her role involving making sure of a consistent and compliant working system that promotes a safety-first culture through continuous improvement of procedures, processes and operational facets in the company. Liz also holds a certification in Health and Safety Construction, and a degree in Total Quality Management from the University of Salford. Her ethos has primarily focused on the safety of people through accident prevention strategies.
Construction Kudos:
Liz heads an auditing process that focuses on problem-prevention implementation strategies for her current company – Seddon. The problem previously was that previous audit strategies lacked visibility and control, meaning management had no identification of whether audits are being completed at a quality standard, compromising health and safety. Liz was at the forefront of implementing customised solutions that involved ‘close-out’ and ‘sign-off’ processes for all new buildings and refurbishment projects.
Resource Links:
https://www.pro-evaluate.com/case-studies/seddon/
https://www.britsafe.org/media/6714/liz-groundland-biog-v1.pdf
https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-groundland-62505948/?originalSubdomain=uk
9.
Summary
Kudos in construction is a monthly series focusing on the best that the construction industry has to offer. Not products, data, or organisations, but the personnel that are propelling the construction industry to new heights right thought the supply chain.
This month we’ve paid tribute to those amazing people who are excelling at all levels of construction to make the industry a conducive, supportive, and inclusive environment to work in. From innovation, diversity, leadership, talent-seekers, sustainability and health and safety, our focus is to emphasise and appreciate the upcoming and experienced talent, those people that deserve their Kudos in Construction for being inspirational figures in the industry now and beyond.
Read all of our previous reports here: https://barbour-abi.com/knowledge-hub/construction-market-intelligence/kudos-in-construction/
