Health & Safety

We believe in continuous improvement and operate a robust Health and Safety Management System which is accredited to OHSAS 18001:2001, independently audited on a regular basis. At SWH:

• Everyone has a responsibility for health & safety
• All injuries and damage to health at work are preventable

We have been awarded four consecutive Gold Medals by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents in recognition of our occupational health and safety management systems.

We believe that strong leadership and an open reporting structure based on behavioural safety training has helped to improve our safety culture.  Over the past five years, we have achieved continuous improvement in the reduction of damage to underground services and in reducing lost time injuries and injuries to third parties.

Every accident at work is much more than a statistic; it affects real people’s lives.  We aim to involve and engage our workforce in the management of safety by consulting them and taking their views into account. In a recent survey 536 employees, from all parts of our business, completed a health & safety questionnaire.

The majority agreed with the following:

• Co-workers often give tips to each other on how to work safely
• Safety is the number one priority in my mind when completing a job
• I always look out for my workmates where safety is concerned
• I am clear about what my responsibilities are for health and safety