VolkerFitzpatrick hosts safety stand down talks
This week, VolkerFitzpatrick teams gathered on almost every site for a safety stand down talk. Every year, in April and October, the safety stand down talks are held to focus everyone’s attention on health and wellbeing. This October, the talks centred on lessons learnt and sharing knowledge across sites, while addressing and recognising the needs of each individual project.
The presentations on some sites focused on topics such as mental health, first aid awareness, the critical importance of correct glove protection, and sustainability. Providing an opportunity for collaboration, on large sites suppliers were invited to host stands and provide a deeper understanding and awareness of their products and services. Practical demonstrations were also a feature, with for instance, an opportunity to sit in the cab of a road-rail vehicle, with one person describing it as, “A once in a lifetime chance to learn how little can be seen from the cab.”
Special guests also spoke at some sites, with one project team inviting Steve Kerslake, who is the founder of the charity Construction Sport and recently featured in a BBC programme examining mental health in construction.
Lee Clifton, contracts manager, who led an activity at a London site, commented: “Health and safety is an integral part of our working lives every day, so these talks provide an opportunity to build on those practices and focus everyone’s attention and address any important safety topics. We combine it with social time, so at this location we put on a lunch, as we want everyone to go home feeling good and refocused on safety priorities.”
