Lanes Group launches newsletters to Shout about Safety

Lanes Group has launched a comprehensive series of internal newsletters called Shout about Safety as part of its strategy to support a strong safety culture across the company.

The publications are targeted at staff in three key business areas – utilities, rail and general drainage services.

Each is published once a quarter in a rolling programme, so a Shout about Safety newsletter is distributed within the group every month, providing advice, news, success stories and seasonal safety warnings.

Lanes Group Managing Director Wayne Earnshaw said: “Shout about Safety is part of a wider programme of initiatives to support a cultural step-change in our operational performance and behaviours in terms of health, safety and wellbeing.

“We want health and safety to be an integral part of our work, not an add-on for teams, both in the field and in support operations.

“Our industry and workplaces have many hazards, which is why we, at Lanes, want to provide a working environment that our teams can operate in safely, so they go home safely.

“Clear, transparent two-way communication and engagement is key to making this cultural step-change in improved health and safety.”

Shout about Safety was the brainchild of Sarah Hurcomb, Head of Health, Safety, Quality and Environment for Lanes Group’s Utilities Division.

She said: “I wanted to create a newsletter to promote our Serious about Safety campaign within the Thames Water operations. It’s an excellent way to reach out to teams, involve them in decision-making about safety, then informing them about the difference their ideas have made.

“Our aim is to make Shout about Safety entertaining as well as informative. It’s not about hammering people over the head, it’s about involving people in the process of continuously improving safety.”

Shout about Safety newsletters are emailed to all staff members and have been designed to be readable on mobile devices. Hard copies are made available in all depots. Health and Safety Committees act as editorial boards, suggesting content for each edition.

Items in each newsletter include new safety developments, health and safety performance figures, personal success stories and training opportunities.

For example, in the first Utilities Shout about Safety there was news about the decision to issue bump caps after a staff trial, offers of CPC driver training and warnings about the importance of using the right protective clothing.

Sarah added: “We also had an article about new tailgating warning stickers being put on the backs of vehicles after our drivers told us about the problem. We want to show that when staff highlight an issue, we take action.”