Health and Safety
Good health and safety practices are integral both to employee welfare and to the success of the Group. Each Divisional Managing Director is responsible to the Board for health and safety in their division. We continually review our procedures and our training in order to develop and adopt methods of working which reduce the likelihood of accidents occurring. Both divisions operate in a time-critical environment with any delay increasing costs and causing disruption for ourselves and our customers.
Reports on health and safety performance are the first operating item at all meetings of the Group Board and at Divisional Operating Board meetings. They include injury statistics and trends as well as lessons learned, training performance, contacts with regulators and legislative changes. The Group’s health and safety policy statement, which is published on our website, focuses on establishing a suitable environment, providing proper training, communication and consultation with employees.
Menzies Aviation
During 2009, Menzies Aviation continued to build on the positive results it had achieved during 2008. The structure of Health, Safety and Security management within aviation has evolved to match the operational business needs and further strengthen the focus on establishing operational standards and policies. This is being achieved through the development of the SMART programme that has been designed to provide a framework of minimum standards that all business operations must strive to achieve.
The monthly Incident Review Board (IRB) chaired by the Divisional Managing Director has further matured and continues to bring a strong senior management focus on incident investigation and the development of preventative measures. Communicating the ‘safety & security’ message has continued with regular publication of safety alerts, posters/stickers, operational audits and employee participation through local safety committees as well as a monthly safety performance newsletter.
Health and Safety is a central component of the SMART standards tool. The MORSE incident/accident reporting tool has further matured and the enhanced version was successfully implemented and is now providing a significantly higher standard of reporting, qualitatively and quantitatively, shifting the emphasis to prevention rather than cure. Furthermore, additional enhancements have been made to allow for the reporting of security breaches, environmental incidents and mandatory operating reports, including new causal codes that enable us to identify root cause and performance data more accurately in comparison to previous years.
Menzies Aviation continues to take a proactive position with representation on industry groups such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Airside Safety Group. Representation at these groups continues to underpin a strong message to the industry and regulators that Menzies Aviation is proactive in their commitment to safety. IATA has developed a standard Industry Ground Safety Audit Programme (ISAGO) that will standardise the audit process for ground service providers. Menzies Aviation has been actively engaged in the consultative development of this programme and formation of the audit standards, which will provide an internationally recognised industry benchmark.
Menzies Operating Responsibly Safely and Effectively (MORSE)
Menzies Aviation’s safety management programme is called MORSE. The MORSE safety management system and network safety team provide a dedicated resource within each region to support the field organisation and ensure we maintain a strong safety compliance focus. SMART is an integral part of the safety management system and the network team work together to set policy, agree standard operational procedures and communicate regular safety awareness information to the field organisation. The priority continues to be standardising safety and other business critical processes.
MORSE incorporates an intranet-based network reporting and investigation system for the recording of all incidents, including near misses, to UK standards and is continually updated and refreshed to promote its safety and security awareness message.
A new safety and security business plan tool was introduced in Menzies Aviation in 2009 that now forms part of the annual budget planning process. This initiative requires each business unit to consider what specific and measurable preventative actions or measures they will take during the following year to reduce safety and security incidents.
These individual safety and security plans were approved by regional management and will be reviewed by the Incident Review Board on a quarterly basis and during audits and form a key part of the strategy and work programme within each region during 2010.
Menzies Distribution
During 2009, Operating Board responsibility for Health and Safety was assumed by the Menzies Distribution Director of Human Resources. The department has also appointed an additional member of staff to ensure greater visibility and presence at a branch level, and to provide a much more proactive stance. In 2009, the division instigated a substance misuse policy, and training sessions were held for all staff.
MORSE and the safety strategy
The most common injuries in this business are those sustained from manual handling, slips and trips, and moving objects. Best practice is shared between the divisions, and Menzies Distribution uses a variation of Menzies Aviation’s MORSE programme. The division has just completed its first three year safety strategy, designed to encompass all staff in the division. The strategy was aimed at targeting Health and Safety training at all levels within the organisation, specific to the tasks and responsibilities held by the individual:
1. Directors’ responsibility and duty training
This was designed and undertaken by an external facilitator to update and inform all Distribution Directors of their health and safety responsibilities. It is intended that Directors appointed in 2009 will undergo this training early in 2010.
2. Competence and Senior Management
Training to IOSH qualification level in risk management.
3. Supervisors Stepping Up programme
135 staff members have now completed this four day training programme.
4. Introduction of Electronic Reporting Tool
A new tool is currently being selected to complement the existing MORSE programme.
This approach has proved successful and will be extended over the next three years.
The division continued to evolve its vehicle movement practices, separating workplace vehicle movements from people movements. Our route-map practices were previously highly commended by the Freight Transport Association and the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and remain a case study on the HSE website, highlighting Menzies Distribution’s safe systems of work as the blueprint for good working practices.
All staff receive health and safety training relevant to the tasks they perform. CD-based training materials are also available, including our driver training programme which covers safety as well as advanced driving skills to maximise fuel savings.
Integration of new business
For our customers it was business as usual as their supplier changed to Menzies Distribution, but the instant addition of two new hub sites and 180 new staff following the new business gain from Dawson News presented a challenging opportunity for the Distribution Health and Safety team. Health and Safety were integral to plans for our new sites. Each new site required immediate risk assessments which were undertaken as soon as our staff gained access to the new premises. Initial alterations for safety were instigated to ensure our high standards were maintained.
As well as ensuring the premises were as safe as we could make them, it was important that all new staff received appropriate training. A road-show and induction classes were set up for all staff moving to Menzies and mop-up programmes were arranged for those who missed the initial sessions.
Once initial operations had commenced the Menzies team then instigated its normal health and safety strategy, with managers put onto risk management and risk assessment courses, supervisors receiving an accelerated ‘Stepping up’ module on health and safety, and manual handling training given to shop-floor staff. With the new premises now operating the ‘Menzies Way’ they, along with our existing premises, will continue to keep health and safety central in all activities.