Health and Safety

Farrans Construction and Civil Engineering

Dynamic leadership

Our Board of Directors lead by example in respect of continual improvement in health and safety standards. This takes the form of the appointment of a director with specific responsibility for health and safety and also a requirement for all our directors to fulfil a pivotal role in the management of health and safety in their particular areas of responsibility focusing on achievement of specific targets.

Our senior managers are required to undertake Visible Felt Leadership (VFL) visits to site each month and engage employees and sub-contractors in a conversation about the health and safety elements of the task being undertaken, and also to encourage suggestions on how standards could be improved. Farrans adopted the VFL system as it has been proven in the petrochemical and other industries to be an effective tool for enhancing health and safety performance in large organisations.

Implementation of effective management systems

We are committed to the delivery of best practice and recognise industry and legislative standards in the management of health and safety on construction sites. The third party accreditations to BS OHSAS 18001 and Safe T Cert held by our Company are essential tools in meeting this commitment. These accredited systems are complemented by the Farrans ‘CARES’ (Consider Accidents Recognise Everyone’s Safety) health and safety management system implemented on all sites.

This includes risk assessment and method statement reviews, daily task assessments, toolbox talks, weekly meetings, and safety walkabouts with sub contractors, as well as the devising of a specific safety duty chart for everyone on site.

Targeted and specific training

We are an Investor in People. We believe that superior health and safety performance can only be achieved in an environment which is supportive and encourages training. All direct employees and sub contractors must receive a specified number of training hours each year to maintain competence levels.

Our training in health and safety encompasses various methods of delivery from task assessment and tool box talks to formal certificated training from approved bodies. A Continuous Professional Development Programme in health and safety is also in place for management.

Commitment to Continual Improvement Objectives and challenging targets are determined each year by the senior management team to ensure continual improvement in performance in health and safety. These form the basis of health and safety improvement plans for each of the Farrans divisions and provide a tool for monitoring performance and achievement. The focus areas in the improvement plan objectives are identified by means of health and safety audits, accident and incident reports, changing legislation and industry best practice.

Recognition of Superior Performance Superior health and safety performance on site is recognised at the end of each year with the publication of league tables which chart the achievements of each site in relation to targeted accident frequency and severity rates. Our health and safety performance continues to be recognised with accolades from a wide range of bodies and organisations which includes the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), The Construction Employers Federation and the Northern Ireland Safety Group as well as from our parent company, CRH plc. Our latest recognition comes with winning the Construction Excellence Award for Health and Safety 2009 repeating our success with the same award in 2003.

Ongoing Health and Safety Initiatives

Our health and safety management system is complemented by periodic initiatives which are designed to encourage and sustain greater involvement on the part of employees and sub-contractors in the process of eliminating accidents at work. We also recognise our responsibilities to the communities in areas where we work and we deliver safety awareness training to children in local schools as part of our ‘Safety Sam’ programme. ‘Safety Sam’ informs children of the inherent dangers associated with gaining unauthorised access to construction sites under his motto “Play Safe – Stay Safe.”