Context
Gamma is a communications company with a workforce of approximately 1600 people. It has evolved from around 500 people working almost exclusively in an office environment, to over three times as many staff working in different locations and conditions internationally.
We already had a great relationship with Gamma. We provide an outsourced competent person service for them, as well as carrying out risk assessments, audits, training and benchmarking their health and safety performance against ISO standards.
With the expansion of the company over the last few years, Gamma came to us to appraise their health and safety operations for two main reasons:
- They recognised there were gaps in their health and safety practices due to the rapid expansion of the company and they needed to ensure they weren’t left exposed.
- Gamma care about their employees. They wanted to make sure they were providing a comprehensive health, safety and wellness package for their teams, not simply tick the boxes they needed to.
Task
Our task was to build on the already solid working relationship we had with Gamma and assist their company’s growth by identifying the gaps in their health, safety and wellbeing operations.
Gamma is a caring company who adapt well to changes. However, their existing health and safety practices were a little outdated and no longer fit for purpose in some areas of the business. For example, prior to expansion almost all the staff were working in an office environment. This is no longer the case as employees are adopting new working practices like hybrid working between home and office, and field engineers working alone on sites installing kit.
Although there were no significant problems in the business that required immediate and drastic action, the task at hand had two main objectives:
- Gamma’s health and safety lacked the structure needed for a company of its size. Newer developments such as lone working in the company needed including and updating.
- They needed a more holistic approach to health and safety, encompassing all aspects of their team’s safety, physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Ultimately, they needed our support to manage a culture shift in their company, supporting and empowering their managers with knowledge and expertise.
Solutions
Our first step was to analyse the gaps in the system and benchmark them against best practices, such as ISO 45001, a globally recognised health and safety management standard. Next, we worked on providing the following solutions:
- We offered support in updating the necessary missing processes and practices that were needed to make sure Gamma were completely compliant.
- We designed a comprehensive, top to bottom training matrix for the whole company.
- We delivered IOSH accredited Leading Safely training for the executive team.
Using this training matrix, Gamma were able to deliver the right learning to the right people, allowing department managers to take ownership and pride in the health and wellbeing of their teams.
Results
As a result of this training and engagement across all the departments of the company, Gamma can confidently say they have closed all the ‘gaps’ in their health and safety practices.
The training matrix that we implemented is individually designed specifically for the needs of the company and safeguards them for the future. As a growing company they are hiring more staff than ever, which comes with more weight of expectation from their workforce. The support we have provided means that Gamma are exceeding these expectations and are well positioned for further expansion.
Gamma have been able to introduce new measures that they have never previously implemented and they are now equipped with the infrastructure and knowledge to maintain them. For example, there are new practices for keeping engineers safe and well whilst lone working on site. Also, there is a company focus on their team’s mental wellbeing, particularly in the post pandemic environment of home and hybrid working.
Along with complete compliance across the company, the most significant result of our support has been the culture shift in the company regarding health and safety. It is now a part of the executive board’s agenda, with training and responsibility from top to bottom of the company hierarchy. There is a renewed sense of responsibility, accountability and most importantly engagement in a caring culture as opposed to a compliance exercise.
Looking to the future
The support we’ve provided for Gamma plays an important part in the development of the company’s future. As they expand internationally, Gamma are well prepared to implement a high standard of health, safety and welfare in varied working environments across the board.
They can improve on current performance proactively, as opposed to reacting to mistakes or occurrences as and when they happen. There is a focus on providing mental health support to their teams, gaining a better understanding of what individuals need to build a robust support network for their people at work.
Their managers and leaders are now trained to deliver training and risk assessments that they were lacking in previously, which has increased the overall engagement and accountability in the company. The introduction of systems and structure has made everyone’s lives easier at work, enabling Gamma to focus on doing what they do best: delivering leading edge communications services for their clients.
