SCAFFOLDING contractor XERVON Palmers has launched an in-house health and safety initiative which awards employees for delivering excellence in safe scaffolding and access working practices.
The key aim of the Safety Recognition Scheme (SRS) is to encourage all to maintain and improve a safe working environment, through recognising good health and safety practice.
Nominations will be generated from one employee to another, and can include groups as well as individuals. Awards include an extra day’s holiday, plus a monthly/quarterly charitable donation to the winners’ charity of choice. The top SRS annual award is a weekend break for two.
The introduction of the SRS invites staff members, employees, agency and part time workers to nominate a colleague for the awards. A monthly ‘Recognition Panel’ decide the winner.
Award winners will be judged on proactive solutions and behaviours like sound safety observations, sensible interventions, making safety suggestions and reporting ‘close calls’.
The inaugural winner was Mick Burrows, who won for his outstanding safety contribution on the Kingston Bridge Project.
Ian McFarlane, Director for Business & Project Development at XERVON Palmers said, “Whilst working on a night shift, XERVON Palmers and our key subcontractor Envirowrap were requested to work in two areas instead of the planned one. When Mick reviewed the works, he ascertained that the second work area had very poor lighting, plus there was an added danger of a live high voltage third line very close by, combined with the fact there was only one Controller of Site Safety (COSS) available on site. So, Mick took it upon himself to act by stopping work and deciding to revert to the original plan of working in one area at a time.
“This meant the COSS and lighting could be concentrated in one area rather than depleted across two, meaning operations could carry on safely avoiding a potential accident.”
