 Home Health and Safety Health and Safety News
Cavaghan & Gray win Northern Foods H&S award
17 February 2007
Ed and Mary with the trophies
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The Carlisle-based company are the first winners of the Northern Food Groups award for their 'zero tolerance' campaign on accidents and near-misses.
Cavaghan & Gray is a company in Northern Foods making chilled ready meals. Only a few years ago there was concern at the high accident rates in their Carlisle factory. A new deal was agreed beteween the Usdaw reps and the management on a joint approach to making the workplace safer. The new approach resulted in a great improvement on the site, but it was felt by the management and the union that more needed to be done.
The Zero Tolerance campaign was intriduced based around a simple Hazard/Near Miss reporting form. the focus was on the underlying root causes of the hazards that were identified and 7 Safety Improvemetn Teams were set up to tackle these issues. Following the launch in early 2006, the scheme took off. With over 1,400 reports being receinved and actioned since April. The benefits for the accident perforamnce have been clear. No major accidents since the scheme was introduced a 66% redcution in RIDDOR reportable accidents and a 90% reduction in lost time accidents.
Mary Kennedy, Usdaw convenor at the site, explained,'The fact that the management worked closely with the union on this project was the key to success. By working together we were able to motivate the whole workforce and make sure that health and safety was top of the agenda at all meetings.'
Ed Sedgewick, Health and Safety Manager at the site, said, 'Site wide awareness has improved and working together with the union and workforce have reduced reportable accidents, days away cases and provided a safer workplace to be proud of .'
Contact Details
Health and Safety section
Ph: 0161 249 2441
Fax: 0161 249 2475
Email: healthandsafety@usdaw.org.uk
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