Further Boost To Industry Support For First National Safety Stand-Down

Some of the biggest names in the infrastructure sector have thrown their weight behind the first ever UK-wide health & safety stand-down which is due to take place this spring.

Stop. Make a Change. has been developed by some of the industry’s leading contractors and customers working with the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA). It was launched at CECA’s 20th anniversary conference in November last year, with the backing of 18 leading contractors and customers.

Since then a host of further names from the sector have signed up to take part in the initiative including clients Gatwick Airport, Transport Scotland and Scottish Water as well as main contractors including Galliford Try/Morrison Construction, Clancy Docwra, Hochtief and Ferrovial Agroman. It is also backed by a range of SMEs and industry bodies. 

Stop. Make a Change. will take place on 18 April with companies involved making commitments relating to four key health, safety and wellbeing topics – Mental health, plant safety, fatigue, and respiratory illness. Each business will decide on their own commitments and will use the event to brief staff and suppliers about them. It is intended that good practice developed through Stop. Make a Change will be shared among supporters through a guide published later this year.

CECA chief executive Alasdair Reisner said: “It is fantastic that there has been such strong support from across the industry for Stop. Make a Change. When industry was developing the idea, it was recognised that we would be able to achieve the greatest impact if it was taken up widely, bringing best practice from clients, contractors and suppliers nationwide.

“We are looking forward to seeing what each organization is doing to drive change on each of the four topics, and are keen to share this as best practice later this year.”

CEMEX Health and Safety Director Andy Taylor said: We are delighted to taking part in the Stop. Make a Change. campaign. Health, safety and well-being is our number one priority and we join many other high profile companies in the infrastructure sector who are dedicated to making it their priority on 18 April.”
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Notes to editors
1. Full details of Stop. Make a Change. can be found on the projects website at www.stopmakeachange.co.uk including a newly published guide to running a stand-down within your organization.
2. New organisations to have signed up for Stop. Make a Change include Amiante STR, CEMEX, Cheetham Hill Construction Ltd, Clancy Docwra, CSCS, Farrans, Ferrovial Agroman, Galliford Try, Gatwick Airport, Hochtief, HZ Inova, Institution of Civil Engineers, M.B.Roche & Sons, McLaughlin & Harvey, Morrison Construction, Raymond Brown Construction Ltd, Scottish Water, and Transport Scotland.
3. They join founding partners BAM Nuttall, Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Costain, Crossrail, Environment Agency, Heathrow Airport, Highways England, HS2 Ltd, Lagan Construction, Morgan Sindall, Network Rail, Skanska, Tideway & VolkerWessels UK.