Health and safety

Staff from Mott MacDonald's power generation business receive safety at heights training for work on wind turbines. All parts of our business have bespoke safety plans and objectivesWe believe that health and safety transcend individuals and companies. Improving safety is in everyone’s interests. We work with our customers, national and local governments, safety regulators and enforcers, industry peers and professional bodies to share best practice, shape attitudes to safety and develop guidance. Internally and on our projects, we aim to set benchmarks for safety performance across the regions in which we operate.

Providing leadership

We are working with a wide range of bodies to raise awareness, change behaviour and drive improvement in health and safety performance. With the Association for Consultancy & Engineering we are disseminating health and safety best practice to small and medium-sized firms.

Consultants’ Health & Safety Forum

Mott MacDonald is one of four founder members of the forum, which has a worldwide remit. In the last year we have:

• Promoted the international health and safety assessment we launched in 2010, targeted at Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, India and the Middle East. The test introduces a set of safety standards for engineering consultants and contractors to work to, promoting cross-sector collaboration.
• Developed with major clients a red, amber and green safety warning system for construction projects.
• Shared best practice in safe driving, stress management, training, auditing, safety in design, certification and management systems.
• Produced guidance for professionals on engaging clients in health and safety.

Our performance

Mott MacDonald’s accident rate is low when compared to all other professional services sectors. The number of accidents resulting in absence from work fell 10% in 2010 against a backdrop of increased reporting. We recorded 25% more accidents and a third more near misses – unsafe situations or acts that could result in an accident. This shows progress in raising awareness. Recognising the potential for accidents is a crucial step towards avoiding them.

By continuing to campaign for increased risk awareness and staff engagement in safety at all levels we expect to see further increases in the reporting of total accidents and near misses.

Driving improvement

Safety forms part of our core training for all staff, covering all work-related activities – in the office, in the field or travelling. We require our people to care for the wellbeing of colleagues and members of the public as well as themselves.

Our practices are underpinned by proven and constantly evolving policy and systems. Compliance is overseen and best practice disseminated by a network of regional safety managers. Each business sector has a director responsible for co-ordinating safety and every project is reviewed by a project safety advisor.

2020 health and safety vision

Distilling many years of industry leadership and innovation in health and safety, in 2011 we set out the Group’s vision for health and safety up to 2020. Designed to achieve continuing improvement across the Group, it sets out our objectives and identifies key issues, considerations and actions for each staff member. It will be regularly reviewed. In 2011 new guidance on driving safely was provided. We have also introduced new stress management guidance with the aim of helping staff to tackle one of the potential causes of ill health.

Goals for 2010/11

Further reduce lost time accidents while improving reporting of near misses. Extend certification to OHSAS 18001 for health and safety management as appropriate.

Commentary

Lost time accidents were reduced by 10%. Our global business is compliant with OHSAS 18001. We have now fully certified our oil and gas business and many of our offices specialising in building and transportation engineering.

Goals for 2011/12

Continue reduction in lost time accidents while further improving near miss reporting. Extend training to improve work-related health as well as safety.