Topic Awards
Date 16 Sep 2021
Galliford Try’s Highways business has claimed the top awards for ‘Best Use of Technology’ and ‘Health, Safety and Wellbeing Excellence’ at this year’s Construction News Awards, while being shortlisted for ‘Supply Chain Excellence’.
Best Use of Technology
Galliford Try’s introduction of Eave’s ‘smart’ ear defenders across all its Highways sites has enabled operatives to be constantly aware of ambient noise, while protecting themselves against noise-induced hearing loss, a commonly reported occupational health problem among road workers.
The active ear defenders, which use a best-in-class ‘hear-through’ technology, are unlike standard passive ear defenders as they allow wearers to hear environmental sound such as that from vehicles, vastly improving their safety. The headsets also monitor and map noise exposure, displaying it via a cloud-based software platform, and allowing the business to analyse in real-time each worker’s noise exposure across a site.
Judges praised the amalgamation of hearing protection and exposure tracking as “a real game-changer for an under-explored space” and said Eave and Galliford Try Highways had joined forces to provide “great examples of how genuine working improvements have been generated as a consequence of the technology”.
Health, Safety and Wellbeing Excellence
Galliford Try’s A46 Anstey Lane project saw no accidents or safety incidents across 93,000 hours worked, as well as receiving a client satisfaction score of 94 per cent, together with scores of 10 out of 10 across the board against all 11 KPIs, including for safety.
In addition to championing the Group’s Challenging Beliefs, Affecting Behaviour and Be Well programmes, the project used tablet-based feedback surveys, and an online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy scheme, available to all employees and supply chain partners.
The project manager on the scheme was one of three onsite mental health first aiders, who also led regular mental health workshops on topics such as stress management and work-life balance.
Delivered on behalf of Leicestershire County Council, the scheme was lauded at the national Considerate Constructors Scheme Awards, winning the prize for the Most Considerate Site in the £7.5m-£10m bracket, and was a winner at the Institution of Civil Engineers East Midlands Merit Awards earlier this yar.
CN judges described Galliford Try as a worthy winner that had “not only taken into consideration the health, safety and wellbeing of its direct workforce and its supply chain partners, but also the wellbeing of local communities through close collaboration and listening to their opinions”.
The project was additionally shortlisted as a finalist for the Supply Chain Excellence prize.
David Lowery, Managing Director of Galliford Try’s Highways business, said: “Technology and health, safety and wellbeing play an integral part of our Sustainable Growth strategy and will be crucial as we work with our clients in Highways to build tomorrow’s strategic road network. I am delighted with this fantastic recognition of our efforts and thank and congratulate our people and supply chain partners for their hard work in securing these highly coveted awards.”