We believe that the focus on safety is essential to delivering a high-performing, open and constructive safety culture.

This year the Group has standardised key processes and procedures across its subsidiaries. As part of the Company’s global subsidiary governance framework, each subsidiary is now required to manage its Health and Safety measures and activities in line with the Group’s methodology. Whilst the Chief Executive Officer (supported by the senior management in the Group) has overall responsibility for Health and Safety across the Group, the management of each operating business is required to comply with the processes and procedures disseminated by the Group and report on their activities on a quarterly basis.

This way the Group can actively promote a strong safety culture, striving to instil the same safe working principles in every employee wherever they are and in whichever Group business they work.

Our health and safety organisational framework clearly defines those responsible and accountable for health and safety across our businesses. The Board is committed to maintaining a strong safety culture throughout the Group. Health and safety performance is reviewed by the Board at each scheduled Board meeting. The Executive Committee (Excom) has responsibility and authority to implement ongoing improvements to safety processes and systems, delegating responsibility to local subsidiary management where required. The Group requires that all employees take responsibility for their own safety and that they are mindful of the safety of those around them, thereby creating collective responsibility to ensure we meet our high standards for health and safety and that we continually improve them. The introduction of the Health and Safety Management System further reminds staff at all levels of their specific health and safety responsibilities.

Local management teams are accountable for monitoring the health and safety methodology set by the Group, with each manager having received appropriate briefings on these requirements, and ensuring compliance with local regulatory requirements, culture and specific business needs.

All the subsidiaries within the Group must meet the key requirements of the Group’s methodology, summarised as follows:

  • Health and safety must remain an agenda item at every monthly management meeting. This ensures that teams identify issues in a timely manner, with a process of continuous improvement in place that underpins our strong safety culture.
  • Each subsidiary must create a Health and Safety Committee (if they do not already have one) and must hold Health and Safety Committee meetings quarterly. This allows for the sharing of best practice and the efficient roll-out of specific Group safety initiatives.
  • Ensure that each Committee has at least one trained health and safety representative who is certified to a recognised standard in the territory in which the business operates.
  • All incidents must be fully investigated with remedial actions and preventative measures put in place to ensure the incident does not reoccur and risks are mitigated going forward.

All subsidiaries must report to the Chief Executive Officer quarterly (within two weeks of each Committee meeting), providing a report which summarises the findings of this process and each subsidiary’s health and safety metrics.

The table below records a summary of the Group’s health and safety statistics for the year. In FY 2023 most were caused by slips or falls and were recorded as minor injuries. Minor injuries were treated by our locally trained first aiders, administering treatment for minor cuts or abrasions. All minor incidents or ‘near misses’ are reviewed regularly and where trends are identified, further control measures are introduced to reduce risks and prevent recurrence. The Group reported two lost time incidents one of which was reportable (under the UK Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013) to the Health and Safety Executive. The incident was reportable due to the injury involved and time away from work for the employee. The injury was minor and the incident fully investigated with actions taken to prevent recurrence. These incidents together with an increase in minor injuries have seen a rise in the overall injury rate per 100 employees for the first time in two years.

  FY 2023 FY 2022 FY 2021 FY 2020 FY 2019 FY 2018
Average employees 473 434 333 275 181 128
Reportable incidents 1 0 0 0 0 0
Lost time incidents 2* 0 0 0 0 0
Near misses 26 26 15 9 13 7
Minor injury (FAC) 16 6 13 13 14 9
Injury rate per (FAC) 100 employees 2.2 1.4 3.9 4.7 7.7 7.0
Injury rate per 100,000 hours worked 2.2 0.8 0 0 0 0

* Includes RIDDOR reportable incident.

Our data covers 100% of employees and includes contractors.

Lost time incidents are defined as an injury or illness sustained on the job by an employee that results in the loss of productive work time resulting in them being unable to perform regular job duties, taking time off for recovery or being assigned modified duties whilst in recovery. The minor injury rate is currently measured against first aid or medical treatment cases that did not result in a reportable incident or lost time injury.

Injury levels have increased during FY 2023, mainly due to regular and enhanced reporting of minor incidents to the Group HSE Manager and the increased size of the Group during the year. 95% of these injuries reported were minor in nature and required local first aid or minor medical treatment and did not result in any lost time injury.