Proactive safety measures wins RoSPA gold for Woods Air Movement

Why did Woods Air Movement receive this award?

 

Factories are dynamic working environments and can present potential risks to workers, but our team has managed to create an incredibly safe working environment. One such team member who made this happen is Tim Neal, our Quality, Health & Safety and Environmental manager, who tells us all about how and why Woods Air Movement won this fantastic award.

 

“We received the RoSPA Gold award due to our outstanding achievements in health and safety management. We demonstrated a proactive approach to safety, with rigorous hands-on risk management, employee training, and continuous improvement initiatives. The award reflects Woods' commitment to creating a safe working environment, reducing workplace injuries, and promoting a safety-first culture among its employees.”

 

 

 

 

Pictured above you will see some of the team members who made this possible. From left to right you have Ryan Pryke (Metrology Engineer), Tim Neal, Gary (Jess) James (Global H&S Leader) and Elliott Sheehan (Operations Director).

 

 

The RoSPA awards has celebrated its 68 years as the UK’s largest and most impactful health and safety programme. It offers a chance for companies to showcase that they’re among industry leaders in health and safety, so this award cannot be understated. This team has made a fantastic achievement.

 

 

 

The practical steps to improve the safety record

 

It is not a simple task, and many practical elements had to be taken to improve safety.

 

“We have simple Health & Safety (H&S) reporting allowing employees to report potential hazards before incidents occur, and management follow up with corrective measures to mitigate them. There are also induction sessions covering safety protocols, emergency response, and proper equipment handling, to ensure that all employees are well-informed and prepared.”

 

Communication is always key when it comes to safety.

 

“Woods established safety committees comprised of representatives from different departments to facilitate open communication and encourage reporting of safety concerns.”

 

Safety is a commitment and as such it is important that anyone who joins us always understands our guidelines.

 

“Everyone is brought into H&S at Woods and management endorse a ‘safety first’ approach under all circumstances.”

 

 

 

 

Lessons learned

 

Getting to this point to win the gold award is a personal achievement for Woods Air Movement having won the silver award last year in 2023. It shows their perseverance and resilience to improve health and safety to an excellent industry standard. Such a journey in safety has provided valuable learnings.

 

“On a personal level, one of the key learnings from applying for and receiving this award has been the importance of cultivating a culture of safety. It's not just about policies and procedures; it's about fostering an environment where every employee feels responsible for their own safety and that of their colleagues and is empowered to make changes for the better.”

 

We love hearing success stories in our company’s community and how it influences us for the better. Not only is safety important in factories but also in any workplace environment, for example an office, and it is locations like this that can be overlooked for potential safety risks. So, to make employees feel responsible for safety, this example presents an active approach to providing a safe environment to work in for all.

 

 

 

 

Debunking the common myth in safety

 

There can often be some myths when it comes to safety and Tim Neal sheds some light as well as debunking one common myth.

 

“One common myth about safety is that accidents are inevitable and can't be completely prevented. The reality is that most workplace (and home!) accidents can be foreseen and are preventable with the right attitude, training, and approach to identifying and mitigating hazards. Accidents are only inevitable if we allow complacency to set in.”

 

 

 

 

What can we do to make a positive difference in our workplace?

 

We are so impressed in the team at Woods Air Movement, and we hope this inspires everyone to look closely at their own H&S guidelines in the workplace to see where improvements can be made. So, what piece of advice does Tim Neal suggest?

 

“One crucial action everyone can easily take is to encourage open conversation about safety concerns. Regular check-ins with your team or visiting other areas and asking questions about safety help to maintain a high level of awareness and can prevent accidents before they happen.”

 

 

 

 

The next steps

 

Safety is so important and as such it seems appropriate that a safety campaign is made. ‘We Go Home Safe’ is one such campaign that is being run here at Woods.

 

We spoke to Raul Garcia our Director of Global Quality and Lean Management Quality had this to say about the campaign and the significance of the RoSPA Gold Award.

 

“With our safety campaign, ‘We Go Home Safe’, we are encouraging more locations around our company to apply themselves to safety and for similar awards, as that will help to reduce further avoidable incidents. Safety culture is a mindset ensuring we do what is right.”

 

Congratulations again to Woods Air Movement for winning gold in the Occupational Achievement category from the RoSPA.

 

You can view the full story here: Woods Wins RoSPA Gold | Woods Air Movement

 

To learn more about the RoSPA Awards visit their website: RoSPA Health and Safety Awards | Get the recognition your organisation deserves - RoSPA