Firm is celebrating consideration for workforce

Firm is celebrating consideration for workforce

27 November 2013

A SAINTFIELD firm has been presented with a prestigious gold award at the Considerate Constructors scheme’s annual national company awards ceremony.

Specialist civil engineers, Dawson-WAM Ltd, beat off stiff competition from hundreds of entries from across the UK and was only one of 12 firms to achieve the gold standard for 2013.

The annual awards recognise the highest levels of consideration and care shown by construction companies towards their local neighbourhoods, the public, workforce and the environment.

They are judged by scheme monitors visiting the offices and sites of each eligible company and rating their considerate performance against a code of practice.

Monitors visited two of the Saintfield firm’s sites and found the levels of considerate construction to be equally high at both locations.

Safety was a very high priority and daily briefings were supported by toolbox talks, regular inspections and the training of certain operatives for safety observation.

Vicinity safety alarms automatically shut down piling operations if an operative entered the area, and each piling operation was also very well screened and protected.

Monitors said the approach to caring for the workforce was of an equally high standard, with forward-looking benefits well above the legal minimum and an enlightened approach to workplace issues.

The Saintfield firm’s welfare facilities were described as “excellent” with staff’s occupational health periodically checked by a local health professional. Career development was also strongly encouraged and information on training courses was widely displayed.

Dawson-WAM representatives Peter Kerr (Health and Safety Manager) and Gary Johnstone (Contracts Manager) were presented with the award by Julia Evans, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders.