As a member of the UN Global Compact, FCE Projects has pledged to help raise awareness of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and today, as part of our SDG Awareness Campaign, we have chosen to open the topic of health and safety at work regarding Goal 3: Good Health & Wellbeing.
Sunday 28th April is ‘World Day for Safety and Health at Work’. Health & Safety in the construction industry should take priority for any project, ahead of completing on time and within budget – a workplace must be a safe place for all workers. Statistics from a 2022/2023 study highlighted that ‘the construction industry accounts for the most fatal injuries to workers of any industry in the UK’ (HSE).
In 2003, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), began to observe “World Day” to stress the prevention of accidents and diseases at work. “This celebration is an integral part of the Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health of the ILO, as documented in the Conclusions of the International Labour Conference in June 2003. One of the main pillars of the Global Strategy is advocacy, […] to raise awareness of how to make work safe and healthy and of the need to raise the political profile of occupational safety and health.”
We are all aware by now that 2023 was the warmest year on record globally. As a result, climate change is causing deaths, injuries, and diseases for workers everywhere, leading to increasing issues with health and safety at work, as shown in these eye-watering statistics in the video below created by the ILO.
Promoting workplace safety and health directly contributes to achieving SDG Goal 3: Good Health & Wellbeing by minimising workplace hazards and ensuring the well-being of workers.
Here at FCE Projects, although we are on a much smaller scale, we are doing our utmost to combat health and safety in the workplace for our employees and collaborators in line with our 4 main values, Responsible, Ethical, Focused and Collaborative.
FCE Projects is a leading civil engineering firm committed to industry standards and best practices in health and safety management. We are accredited with the following: ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001.
As a business, one of the ways that we have enhanced our approach to health and safety is through innovation by introducing Tablets on-site. This has enabled us to effectively plan, gather, and analyse health and safety data in real time and provide remote transparency into on-site activities.
“At FCE Projects we have invested in our data management systems. It is through data that we can understand the changes in our environment and adapt our safety practices to ensure the effects from climate change are minimised. I am really pleased with the progress that the team are making in our digital transformation journey, which is underpinning our progress and ensuring that we become a safer business overall”
– Tim Whitehill, ESG Director
This integration has significantly impacted our operations and enhanced health and safety standards. By streamlining processes and providing real-time data access, it has improved our efficiency and approach to health and safety management, ultimately ensuring a safer working environment for everyone involved.
“Through digital connectivity and data visibility, our people can understand how everyday choices can impact their safety and wellbeing at work, and how climate change is affecting this. This is bringing about a new culture for climate change adaptation in our business.”
– Simon, Health & Safety Director
This transition has brought about the following benefits:
- Tasks that once required manual data entry and filing are now automated, saving valuable time and reducing the risk of human error.
- Accessibility of real-time data on our tablets has facilitated quicker decision-making processes and enhanced communication among team members.
- We now have the facility to develop and tailor the app to our specific needs, which has allowed us to continually refine and adapt the app to meet our evolving needs.
“As a project and systems engineer it is very rewarding to see how digital transformation can make a real impact in our business, both in fighting climate change and improving the safety and wellbeing of our people.”
– Lewis Gerrard, Business Transformation Manager
With innovation as our driving force, we strive to be at the forefront of the industry when it comes to setting the gold standard for health and safety. We do this through the implementation of the latest technology suitable for our core services. Whilst one day is a great opportunity to advocate for the importance of health and safety in the workplace, at FCE this is an issue that we put at the forefront of our daily operations ensuring that all employees and partners return home safe and sound every day. Through our work, we hope to lead by example so that we can combat health and safety issues to create a safer industry globally for a more sustainable future.
“The time to act is now!”