VGC Be Safe brief March 2021
This is your March 2021 Be Safe brief
There are two versions of the safety brief – a video version and a text version.
Please watch or read the version that you prefer.
Page contents
Video
Text version
This month's brief includes
- See it, share it
- Driving under the influence
- Network Rail safety alert
- Commendation – G.Network
- Manual handling
See it, share it
Congratulations to this month’s See it, share it winner. The award goes to Andrei Buzdugan on our Balfour Beatty Vinci M4 contract. He spotted a half brick in between one of a lorry’s pair of rear wheels. Andrei spoke to the lorry driver and helped him remove the brick to prevent it flying off into live traffic.
Stopping the lorry and letting the driver know demonstrates how “we look after each other” and shows that “expertise and ethics underpin our business” – Thank you Andrei.
Please remember to share observations and good practice – email besafe@vgcgroup.co.uk.
Driving under the influence
A recent report showed there are now 40 to 50 times more drug driving offences than before 2015. One police force said it had two and a half to three times more the number of arrests for drug driving than drink driving during part of 2020. Another police force arrested over 2,000 drivers for drug driving offences with over half of them arrested driving for work reasons.
VGC has a zero tolerance to drug use in the workplace. This includes being under the influence of drugs even if you took drugs out of work. Remember one of our four Be Safe rules "Be fit for work".
Network Rail safety alert
The environment we work in is dangerous. Our Be Safe rules are there to control the risks. Please never be complacent.
However experienced you are, however well you know your job, things can go wrong. A recent fatality, non VGC, on a Network Rail job in south-west London is an example. An experienced four-person team, who knew each other and the area, was working on the rail, when one of them was struck by a train. Sadly a person sustained fatal injuries.
Remember, it's one of our four Be Safe rules that if anything changes from the brief, stop.
Commendation – G.Network
Our client has complimented one of our London teams for their professionalism.
The team was working in a residential area in London, installing fibre broadband for client G.Network. A local resident approached them, shouting threats and damaging the worksite. The police were called, and they took him away – apparently he was previously known to them.
G.Network’s chief operating officer wrote to our CEO Laurence Mckidd, praising our team for the calm and professional way they dealt with the situation. We understand that the police also complimented them. Because of the way they dealt with this frightening experience, no-one was injured.
Thank you to the team in Islington.
Manual handling
Thank you to everyone who was involved in supporting manual handling week last week. We have had some excellent observations which are all about keeping everyone safe.
Remember, before you undertake any manual handling activity, think T.I.L.E.
T – Task, what needs to be done and can it be done another way such as in a wheel barrow?
I – Individual, have you received training and do you know the good and bad habits?
L – Load, consider the weight, content, size and how far the load needs to be moved
E – Environment, what is the route you are going to take like?
Remember, you must only undertake manual handling activities if you feel you are capable of doing it safely.
For more information see vgcgroup.co.uk/TILE.
Observations
Please remember to keep sending observations of good practice or safety improvements to besafe@vgcgroup.co.uk.
Any questions?
If you have questions about any part of this brief, or want to raise any observations of good practice or things that could be improved, please email besafe@vgcgroup.co.uk or or fill in the online form at vgcgroup.co.uk/whistle.