Health and Safety

Health and Safety Culture.
The effective management of health and safety is at the core of the company culture at Global Rail Construction and is promoted across all the company’s activities. As a business we have a duty to meet with our legal requirements with regard to health & safety legislation and therefore we
have a comprehensive Safety Management System that is based on HSG 65 and documented in our policies and operations manual.

We continually review our systems and recognise that the health and safety culture must be appraised at all levels. Our operations are monitored through site safety inspections and tours, individual stop shift audits and safety audits. Our policies and procedures are reviewed regularly to ensure they meet with legislation and our business requirements.

In accordance with our service provision, the company understands its duties with respect to Construction, Design and Management Regulations and will provide where requested CDM compliant health and safety planning as specified by the required phase and the regulative information post- construction to support health and safety file.

Site safety information such as Health and Safety Plans, Method Statements/ Work Package Plans, Site Inductions and task briefings are supported
by planned task specific toolbox talks. Our site supervision is issued with a supervisor pack that contains comprehensive information to assist in their duties.

GRCL Heath and Safety Plan
The company has implemented a Heath and Safety Plan with a number of initiatives over and above our legal requirements to further enhance the culture and to develop behavioural change through individual responsibility. This is not just about issuing individual safety responsibility statements but is based on giving everyone the information knowledge and awareness to make a difference. This responsibility extends to our contractors and subcontractors.

Safety Training Programme
Our internal Safety Training Programme is delivered to all employees and is in addition to induction and role specific training. We have currently developed and implemented 24 bespoke health and safety awareness modules that include environment training as well. The modules are workshop based and cover all relevant legislation and include our comprehensive video library, make reference to company processes and documentation.

Our safety awareness programme is supplemented by our managers and supervisors, who have completed the Institutional Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) Managing Safely training. We plan to train all employees to the IOSH Working Safely level.

We have a monthly safety forum meeting between project representatives off site which is facilitated by a non management safety representative. Such forums have been effective in both identifying common issues and bringing new ideas into place to enhance the culture.

E-hazard Reporting
The company has also implemented a hazard reporting system that removes the requirement of form filling by employees. Called E-hazard reporting, reports can be phoned in, texted or emailed, while the QSE department do the rest.

Safety Communication
We have produced a monthly Managers and Supervisors QSE brief that identifies any key information such as new procedures and or processes.
We also recognise that all our employees receive briefings at all levels each and every day. To facilitate dissemination of this information, we have produced quarterly QSE leaflets in an easy to read format that are left at site locations for individuals to read at their leisure. Recent leaflets included a range subjects including swine flu, winter driving and hazardous waste.

The company is currently in the process of developing our Occupational Health and Safety Management system so that it can be assessed and certified to OHSAS 18001, the internationally recognized assessment specification. The system is also Link-up Supplier Registered and Qualified.

Our Health and Safety Policy can be viewed in full here.
Our Drug and Alcohol Policy can be viewed in full here.

For further information, email: qse@grcl.co.uk or telephone: +44 (0)870 990 4074