Priority No. 1

Five key areas have been identified which are the core values of Priority No.1

• Powersystems believe strongly that accidents are preventable
• Having a safe working environment benefits everyone in our business operations, including all stakeholders from the Managing Director to Powersystems employees, subcontractors and the public
• Powersystems understand that our business thrives because of our workforce and our long-term success is dependent on a positive culture, underpinned by keeping health, safety and well-being as our Priority No.1
• By setting ourselves the challenge of industry-leading health, safety and well-being we are showing our commitment to all stakeholders engaged with Powersystems and develop the longstanding trust that employees and customers have in our business

Vision

Protect the workforce from situations which could endanger their health, safety and well-being and entrust our workforce with the ability to influence work, making sure we do things the ‘right way’.

Communication

To be effective and engender a collaborative approach where all employees have the information needed to keep themselves and others safe, instigating and influencing change.

The key ingredient to keeping people safe is to have effective communication of the risks of work, control measures to reduce these risks and any lessons learnt when things don’t quite go to plan. Effective communication has been proven to galvanise an organisation and people are much more likely to be better motivated, have higher morale and achieve their goals. For Powersystems, good communication means that teams and staff working in remote locations in Scotland can receive the same information as someone working in the Bristol office. In addition, they have the same ability as anyone else to raise concerns and feel they have a voice.

Priority No.1 looks at health and safety communication across the business and continuously tries to improve how messages are delivered. Priority No.1 will be the mechanism for using the latest technology and communications techniques to improve the efficiency of the message. Communications will be clear and striking, using visuals wherever possible as ‘a picture tells a thousand words’. 

Culture

A positive culture of strong leaders where safety is actively managed, participation is high and concerns are addressed and resolved.

A positive health and safety culture relies on strong leadership at all levels throughout the business who are constantly striving to improve the experience of the workforce. Priority No.1 will aim to embed health, safety and well-being into the daily routine of every leader who will promote good practice, challenge the status quo, take concerns of others seriously and ensure all concerns are doggedly followed to a conclusion. Our vision of everyone returning home at the end of the day unharmed by work relies on all of the Powersystems team working together, collaboratively and looking out for each other. Our supervisors and managers are critical in realising this vision.

A positive culture priorities health, safety and well-being over everything else where employees feel that they are the priority and have the ability to raise concerns, take ownership, implement change, feedback to others and generally giving a positive contribution. Their opinions will be valued and considered enhancing health and safety at work.

Planning

Thinking about health and safety from the start. Designing for safety and thinking about a task before we start, highlighting risks and eliminating or reducing where possible. Ensuring our workforce is fit to work and have the right tools and equipment to perform the task safely.  

The quote by Benjamin Franklin applies to everything, including health, safety and well-being. Poor planning and design leads to increased risk at the construction phase and a higher chance of accidents, injury and ill-health. Planning is key.

Priority No.1 will prioritise

• Having the right plant, tools and equipment which is inspected and in the correct condition to use
• All staff will have a role to play, from the issue of equipment to maintaining it on site
• Powersystems people have the necessary training to allow them to complete their work efficiently, effectively and with minimal risk to themselves and others around them
• A strong culture of health and safety awareness at all level of the business but especially at design and tender stage, ensures that work is planned and that all foreseeable risks are removed or reduced as low as possible

Stop

Empowering our workforce to stop and think if something is not right, and being able to question the decisions by any person within Powersystems if it adversely impacts on their health, safety or welfare.  

Powersystems people are empowered to ‘stop’ work if they feel their health, safety and well-being are put at risk without fear of reprisal. Concerns and fears will be addressed and no one will be expected to continue until comfortable with the task.

Support

Making sure our workforce is supported in making health, safety and welfare our Priority No.1 through training, effective workload and resource management, and well-being support.

Priority No.1 will provide a framework to help Powersystems support the individual by having the necessary network for them to feel supported in doing their work. A point of contact which will focus on the person to safeguard their wellbeing.  Activities will be assessed to ensure there is sufficient resource to reduce the chances of work-related stress. Regular audits and inspections will be completed by all levels of management to check that our high standards are maintained and that safe and healthy working environments are maintained.