We take our Health & Safety very seriously at SMD. In an industry that can fall foul of hazards, it’s essential that we take the time to do things properly.
We’re so proud to have recently won two accolades at The Building Safety Group Health and Safety Awards!
- BSG Contractor of the Year for Best Practice in Health and Safety
- BSG Best Use of Technology in Health and Safety
Safety is one of our core values.
We never compromise on our values, and set ourselves high standards when it comes to employee training, communication and engagement – it means that we’ve achieved a safety-focused culture within our business. From the moment a new member of site staff joins the company, we make them aware of how vital Health & Safety is. They take part in a 3-day induction run by our dedicated training manager, and are immersed in the world of SMD, including our processes in manual handling, working at height, fire safety, abrasive wheels and safe use of shot-fired equipment.
Spotting problems that needs a solution.
Manufacturing and then installing over 600,000m2 of metal decking every year at great heights is definitely a high-risk activity – but we try to do everything to make is as safe as possible. We try to educate those who may not have the same level of specialised knowledge in metal decking to make sure that they’re not specifying spans over the maximum capacity, and making sure that they’re thinking about installation methods too.
SMD Staff Pictured (left to right); Jim Brokenshire (Senior Estimator), Richard Brokenshire (Operations Manager), Kyle Grigg (Design Coordinator) and Keith Grange (Construction Coordinator) receive awards at Williams F1 Headquarters.
Innovation for the greater good.
To try and tackle this issue we work with our peers in other trades to educate them on the importance of designing a safe build right from the beginning – innovation is of course another one of our core values. Not only do we visit their offices and deliver CPD presentations, but we’ve also embraced technology by offering guidance on our Elements® Design Software. Free to download, it performs vital calculations for decking in both the installation and finished floor stages. We’ve made this software as accessible as possible and not only does this bespoke piece of kit come with detailed tutorial videos, but we’re only a phone call away should anyone need further information.
Making a change.
In an effort to do what we can to bring the whole industry’s standards up to the level it needs to be, we will continue to be heavily involved in relevant trade associations and collaborate with our peers. Not only has our expertise already helped some of our clients pick up Health & Safety recognition awards on their own projects, but it helps drive us forward to provoke positive industry change in the future too. We’re incredibly proud to have been given these most recent awards…but that doesn’t mean we’re stopping there!