UK safety champions
Being safe and accountable are core values at Renewi. Listening to and engaging with our people on these topics, and acting upon their input, is vital to how we work.
In our Municipal Division we wanted to use our new HomeSafe campaign as a way to promote engaging with our people and to encourage a two-way dialogue with them, so last year we set up a UK Safety Champions programme.
“We issued a call to arms to all our 650 people in the UK, asking for volunteers to act as Renewi’s UK Safety Champions and I’m proud that 75 people stepped forward to take up the mantle across all our seven UK regions,” explains Adam King, SHEQ Director, Renewi.
Once we had identified our Safety Champions, we brainstormed key safety issues that are important to our people and together developed a proactive feedback and management approach.
Renewi’s Safety Champions are clearly visible on site with uniforms and provide a focal point for change on key safety issues. They have two deliverables: to organise and arrange weekly site tours and to attend monthly SHEQ meetings. This gives our Safety Champions an opportunity to identify and raise upcoming issues, and to track with our leaders how existing issues are being addressed. Safety issues that have been solved range from changing the height of ladders, to maintenance and cleanliness at waste reception areas.
“We are on a mission to improve engagement with our team and this initiative has been really well received. It gives our people that opportunity to open up and talk directly to management about the safety matters that are really important to them,” says Adam, who has personally met every single UK Safety Champion.
“By showing that we are listening, and setting an action timeframe that is accountable, our Safety Champions are showing our team that Renewi’s metrics for safety change are working,” he adds.
