Welcome to STOPThink!

Welcome to our latest update and I hope that the onset of Spring weather has helped put a little extra zest into your step, despite all this rain.  

For many of us this is a transition from one financial year to another, out with the old and in with the new.  Similarly, March will have been a hectic month of activity.  I am thankful we as a business came through it with no significant injuries or incidents, but it does serve as a stark reminder of the importance of planning our projects to the best extent possible in order that we execute in a safe and timely manner.  Smoothing the workload over the year continues to be something we all strive for.    

After such a hectic month April’s health and well-being topic is stress awareness. Managed to right levels, stress can be positive, but it’s a fine line and having the right levels of self-awareness to know when to take actions to manage your stress is an area many of us can improve.  Knowledge about what we can all do to look after ourselves and one another has never been higher. We all have a duty to ourselves and our people to encourage the use of this knowledge.  

At Octavius we are proud to support our staff in undertaking volunteering activity and all our employees have the option to take one day per year in support of this.  It was great to see our A46 Team connecting with a local community group and participate in litter picking in and around the Walsgrave community.  Similarly, the Connect Plus team have been hard at work, paying a second visit to foodbanks close to the M25.  They have also supported the Demelza charity, an incredible organisation that helps to deliver care too children facing serious or life-limiting conditions.  We are enormously proud of how our people get involved in these great initiatives, without prompting, through a desire to help others.  

As an industry we continue to suffer from unacceptable levels of abuse to our workforce, with repeated incidents.  We are proud members of Safer Highways and actively support the Stamp It Out initiative.  The heightened awareness this excellent campaign has brought to the industry only serves to remind us all of the continued need to come together and take action. Such abuse is not limited to the Highways sector, with our colleagues in Rail similarly exposed.  These actions, often abhorrent in their nature, are a clear indicator of the challenges we face in our society, and whilst in some cases it will be difficult to have a direct impact, we must continue to identify opportunities for action.  Protecting our workforce and ensuring they go home safe remains our number one priority.  

And finally, I have (what was I thinking!) elected to join a group of colleagues, friends and supply chain partners from the A46 Team to tackle the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge in May.  Should you have a few pennies to spare please visit our donations page.

All and any contributions are very much appreciated as we seek to raise money for the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire Charity.    

Thanks

Gavin Pritchard

Managing Director Highways