Algeco UK has reinforced its commitment to making sure safety remains a number one priority by hosting a one-day Safety Summit aimed at tackling near miss incidents. 

The event, which was attended by Algeco UK’s network of third-party contractors, customers and industry leaders including Costain, Brookdale Transport, Scottish Power and the Association of Lorry Loader Manufacturers and Importers (ALLMI) took place on September 11.

Algeco UK is a leading provider of permanent modular buildings, temporary accommodation and storage containers across a wide range of sectors, including retail, commercial, industrial, education, health, defence and justice.

Between July last year and June this year, the company completed more than 60,000 jobs UK-wide, 60% of which were delivered with the help of its trusted third-party suppliers. Minimising risk and embedding a zero harm culture is central to Algeco UK’s everyday operations, which includes proactively working to help prevent accidents through its focus on near miss incidents.

Mike Shakeshaft, Algeco UK’s HSE Director, said: “Near miss incidents – especially those of a more serious nature – may not result in immediate harm, but they carry the potential to cause serious injury. It’s crucial that we, together with our partners, give these incidents our full attention.

They should never be seen as minor or benign, but as vital opportunities to prevent future tragedies, strengthen safety practices and build a safer, more resilient culture.”

Held in Coventry, the Safety Summit shared highly practical insight on the measures that can be taken to identify and avoid near miss incidents across four main risk areas – high voltage powerlines, unsecured items in transit, lift plan, controls and load security, and compliance/assurance.

Chris Whitehead, Operation Manager at Brookdale Transport, said: “Events like this are vital, they allow us to learn from one another and move forward together, working safely and collaboratively. We all operate side-by-side, so sharing feedback and best practice is essential to achieving zero harm.”

Ola Faleti, Logistics Manager at Costain, said: “I attended the Safety Summit to learn more about safe lifting operations from Algeco UK, a key partner on several of our contracts. Algeco UK is a safety leader in our industry and hosting events like this shows that protecting people is their top priority.”

Mike concludes: “We’re extremely proud of the relationships we’ve built and value our suppliers as some of the very best in the industry. Safety is everyone’s common goal – by bringing these industry leaders together, we’re collectively striving to achieve our vision of zero harm.”

In November last year, Algeco UK announced an outright ban on all mobile phone calls made by its employees while driving for business reasons, even with a hands-free unit reinforcing its commitment to safety. Meanwhile, all staff must follow its ten life-saving rules and ‘stop the job’ if there is a risk to theirs or others’ safety.

Further information about Algeco UK’s commitment to health and safety can be found at: https://www.algeco.co.uk/temporary/health-safety