- Category title: Health and Safety Initiative of the Year
- Category sponsor: none
- Award winner: Wessex Water
- Title of project/initiative: collaboration with SafeWise
- Annual company turnover: £525.3 million
- Number of directly-employed staff: 2,300
- Entry criteria:
- Quality of entry (clear, evidence based etc)
- Evidence of innovation
- Quantifiable benefits for workforce, business and customers
- Commitment to all-round health and safety policy
- Evidence of wider adoption/setting best practice for the industry
- Evidence of sustainability benefits
Wessex Water worked in collaboration with SafeWise, a Dorset-based charity, to raise awareness to road users about minimising risk when approaching roadworks, as well as improving its own understanding.
In reaction to the news that SafeWise was keen to develop a new safety site in Weymouth, a team of volunteers made up of staff from Wessex Water cleared the area. This having proven a success, the two companies agreed to collaborate further on a variety of projects.
The collaboration’s work to date has included holding focus groups, producing a road safety awareness video and animation, and providing an educational facility for school children and adults.
WHAT WAS THE SCALE OF THE PROJECT?
The most significant of the projects was a mock-streetworks site at the new centre, but Wessex Water has also since held focus groups, produced an animated road safety awareness video, and allowed one of its sites to be used as an SafeWise educational facility for both school children and adult visitors.
The company is now looking to introduce an improved ramp design for wheelchair users, and a more proactive approach will be taken with regard to encouraging road-users to be considerate to pedestrians in the area. Among the findings that came to light was that the barriers and walkways were created with the assumption that everyone can speak English, see colours and see clearly.
WHAT WAS THE TARGET GROUP?
Wessex Water completes around 60,000 jobs in the road each year but claims that the SafeWise project will have a reach far broader than just local motorists: “Through inviting children to see our roadworks mock-up, we’re able to educate the drivers and road-users of the future. Numerous schools and colleges have visited the centre to date, and such is its success that there are now plans to open another centre in the region,” says a spokesperson.
Wessex says using “real people” in its video meant it resonated with whoever is watching it. The idea was that viewers of the video would have a greater respect for all roadside workers, who have the right to work in a safe environment without the risk of cars negotiating past roadworks dangerously.
WHY THIS APPROACH?
Through its work with SafeWise, Wessex decided to further engage with the local community, and get their feedback on the current road work set ups – these were all already compliant with the Roads and Streetworks Act, but the company’s work with SafeWise inspired them to work more closely with the people likely to be most affected by the roadworks.
The afore-mentioned focus group that was held in conjunction with SafeWise also involved Mobility UK and the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB), as well as the local fire and rescue service. The aim of this was to glean feedback on why people avoid walkways set up to circumnavigate streetworks, and how these can be amended to look safer and be more approachable.
The direct result of this forum, which Wessex Water describes as “invaluable”, was that better images and more differentiated colour-coded barriers to highlight “safe zones” will be used.
WHAT WERE THE PROJECT’S KPIS?
The main KPI of the initiative was to raise awareness, to as many people as possible, about the safety benefits of roadworks, why it’s important to navigate around them safely and how Wessex is working with other organisations to improve accessibility and how it sets up roadworks.
HOW WAS CREATIVITY DEMONSTRATED?
As part of the initiative, local people were shown videos of the dangers of streetworks via social media. These videos included footage of motorists attending driver awareness courses at the SafeWise Centre, with the aim of making them more aware of the consequences of not being considerate. The video, which was also uploaded to YouTube, was a huge hit, according to the company.
It had in excess of a quarter of a million views at the time of going to press and has since received backing from Avon & Somerset Police, Dorset Police, Travel Dorset (Dorset County Council), and Travel Somerset (Somerset County Council).
Furthermore, it was reported on by ITV News Meridian South, BBC Radio Solent, Bridport News, Dorset Echo, Bournemouth Daily Echo and Wessex FM. It is also now shown to all drivers attending a Driver Awareness Course at the SafeWise centre.
WHAT HAS THE IMPACT BEEN ON THE COMPANY?
Using feedback it has received from its focus group, Wessex says other companies within the utilities industry could adopt the same improvements it has made, for example a colour scheme that denotes “safe zones” and the use of symbols. To build on the success of the safety video, Wessex is in the process of developing an animation for children which can be used by other companies.
“Our initiative with SafeWise has also encouraged other parts of our business to voluntarily take the same safety message into other parts of our region which aren’t currently covered by SafeWise,” says the company.
“For example, a team carrying out a water main replacement scheme in Wiltshire decided to follow suit and set up a mock roadwork situation – similar to the ones we have provided to SafeWise – to demonstrate to local school children the importance of roadworks and how to stay safe near them.”
Thanks to the initiative, Wessex Water says it has achieved “a better understanding of the importance of roadworks”.
WHO WAS INVOLVED?
Wessex Water and safety education charity SafeWise.
WERE THERE ANY HURDLES ALONG THE WAY?
Wessex says there have been no hurdles on the project. The collaboration between teams and SafeWise made the whole process very easy.
“It may be worth noting that as we used real members of staff in the video, some were not aware of many takes you had to go through for a few seconds on screen,” says a spokesperson. “It was a fun, but challenging, few days of filming.”
WHAT WAS THE COST OF THE PROJECT?
The company is not able to put a definitive cost on the project as it’s still ongoing.
WHAT THE JUDGES SAID
The judges said this was an entry that has helped educated more than a quarter of million people about the potential dangers of roadworks.
Wayne Hansford, repair and maintenance manager at Wessex Water
“It was an absolute privilege to be named the winners of the Health & Safety Initiative of the Year, it was a fantastic evening and it was really inspiring to be in the company of great people – all of whom are achievers – regardless of any accolade they picked up on the night.
“Our work with SafeWise has gone from strength to strength and we continue to develop a new footpath and barrier arrangement for street work operations, after receiving feedback from a focus group with the RNIB and Mobility Groups, as well as the Fire and Rescue services.
“Although motivation with the SafeWise initiative never waned, there’s no denying winning the award gave us extra momentum.
“I would highly recommend others to enter the awards – it’s great to pitch your initiatives against others in your industry, but more importantly, being exposed to the inspiring teams and individuals along with their ideas at the awards night will only motivate and inspire new ideas within your own business.”
The Utility Week Awards are held in association with CGI and Capgemini.
The 2018 Utility Week Awards will be opening soon. Sponsorship opportunities are available – contact Utility Week business development manager Ben Hammond on benhammond@fav-house.com or 01342 332116 for more information.