health and safety
"We must be vigilant in our focus on our own safety, and the wellbeing of colleagues and contractors. Tarmac is a business where no job is done unless it can be done safely."
Martin Riley, Senior Vice President, Materials
highlights
We monitor and report the safety performance of all of our operations and include employees, contractors and hauliers in our reporting. Across our business operations in 2018 our Total Recordable Case Frequency Rate (TRCFR) was 1.19 incidents for every million hours worked. There were 33 recordable incidents across the business, compared to 28 in 2017. We remain committed to further driving continuous improvement to reduce rates and achieve our commitment to zero harm through our ethos of Work Safe Home Safe. Our Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) was 0.51 in 2018, similar to the 0.49 achieved in 2017 with the total lost time injuries reported at 14 during the period.
Our continued focus on improving health and safety performance was recognised at the Mineral Products Association (MPA) Health & Safety Awards 2018, for excellence in both projects and personal contributions. Tarmac’s Building Products business also celebrated winning the reducing occupational road risk safety award for their innovative ‘void guard’. This guard was developed to increase the stability of lightweight blocks during transport to the customer.
Our strategy for improving health and safety and achieving our commitment to zero harm is outlined in our 2021 Health and Safety Roadmap and focuses on four strategic pillars:
1. Leadership and culture
Setting the standards, leading by example, training and developing knowledge and competence of frontline supervisors.
2. Management systems
Continuing to embed our health and safety management systems and controls across the business. And managing the transition to the international occupations health and safety standard ISO 45001.
3. Communication
Maintaining a robust health and safety communications framework. Encouraging shared learning and preventive action following an incident.
4. Assurance and governance
Establishing risk / opportunities registers. Focusing on root cause and streamlining management review and reporting tools.
2018 saw us start off work on an industry leading Safety Park that will become a new bespoke facility for the training and induction of all new Tarmac operational employees. The park will provide essential classroom and practical training resources to support learning and development of operator competence, helping to embed the CRH 16 Life Saving Rules and Tarmac health and safety standards. The park will allow new employees to gain hands-on, practical experience in a realistic workplace setting but under controlled conditions.
One Card
One card, a 2018 innovation for our business has had a significant impact on our competency management of our drivers’ and contract hauliers and ensuring that training records are all up to date. OneCard is a smart card system that holds individual driver records, such as driving licence, site inductions and training competency, in a central database. All drivers / contract hauliers now hold an individual photo ID card which is swiped at weighbridges and validated before the driver can load. Cards can also be swiped by the mobile transport team and a driver’s competency confirmed on the spot. This has removed the need for paper-based records and simplifies the management of our haulage fleet competency. We have rolled out this system across our Materials business and have over 1,100 cards in circulation with more than 6,000 driver checks having taken place during the year.
The health of all our employees is a fundamental priority for Tarmac. Throughout 2018 we’ve focused on raising awareness of the importance of mental health and wellbeing within the workplace and at home. We have delivered a series of campaigns on a range of mental health topics at offices and operational sites to promote awareness and discussion and to challenge accepted norms regarding mental health and wellbeing. Our work on raising awareness of mental health and promoting open discussions is further supported by our commitment to Mates in Mind and the Tarmac employee assistance line designed to provide impartial and confidential support on any topic.
Tarmac has been recognised for its occupational health and safety activities with an achievement award in the 2019 RoSPA Awards. The award is recognition of the efforts of all at Tarmac to improve safety, health and wellbeing in 2018 at work and at home and recognises our collaboration with contractors and other interested parties on this important issue. We are exceptionally proud of this achievement and will look to build upon this in 2019.
Tarmac is a leading advocate of the Mineral Products Association (MPA) Safer by Competence industry programme which places zero harm as the overarching health and safety priority for the mineral products industry. As part of this sector-leading drive, the MPA has devised an ambitious ‘Safer by Competence’ policy to deliver demonstrable personal competence across its members. ‘Safer by Competence’ sets out routes to meeting National Occupational Standards relevant to specific roles, with a range of targets applicable to all operational employees. Tarmac provides employees with the opportunity to gain National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) / Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) / Scottish Qualifications and Credit Framework (SQCF) vocational qualifications as the basis for demonstrating competence.
During 2018
- 101 operational employees completed National Vocational Qualification (NVQ)
- All mobile plant operators enrolled in a competency-based operator licence scheme and we launched the Tarmac Professional Operator Development Programme
- A SHE qualification was launched for managers/supervisors in our building products business
In 2019 we will complete our transition to the new ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety standard and identify opportunities to integrate our core management systems elements. Our health and safety strategy will continue to contribute delivery towards the 2021 roadmap and further opportunities will be taken to embed safety within our business strategy. We plan to place an even greater emphasis on delivery of a fair and just culture which will be built upon doing things the right way.