9 February 2015

Area 12 of the A-one+ road maintenance consortium has been showing the way ahead when it comes to promoting health and wellbeing among staff.

A series of campaigns, highlighted in its monthly newsletter, has sought to keep personnel healthy and encourage them to look out for any impending health problems.

The newsletter, put together by SHE Adviser Helen Marsden, is distributed to depots and worksites throughout Area 12, which covers roads in Yorkshire and northeast Lincolnshire. It alerts staff both to approaching health campaigns and to ways of how to look after themselves.

Topics tackled recently have included men’s and women’s health weeks, testicular and prostate cancer and ‘flu jabs.

“We’ve had amazing feedback from both staff out on the roads and in the offices,” said Project SHE Manager, Dean Saunders. “When we did the ‘flu jabs, they were queuing up.

“We’ve just carried out a campaign of DIY health checks. We go along and set up the equipment at the start of shifts, either at 6.30 in the morning or at the start of the evening shifts. It gives staff a check on things like blood pressure, BMI measurements (to compare weight with height) and the percentage of water in the body.

“We really push health now within the three A-one+ areas. We’re now branching out into a new area, mental health, which is a very tricky subject.”

The effect of the sustained push on health and wellbeing issues, he added, was that staff were now convinced that the A-one+ consortium – consisting of Costain, Colas and Halcrow – really were concerned about their health and wanting to help them maintain it.

Praise for Area 12’s four-strong SHE team has come from SHE Director, Peter Fisher: “This project has, in my opinion, consistently led the way in promoting health and wellbeing,” he said. “It provides a really good example of how we can help to keep our personnel in good shape.”

Meanwhile, Area 12 has received a Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice during a ceremony at the Houses of Parliament.

“Our client the Highways Agency was so delighted, it joined the Area 12 delegation to receive a duplicate trophy and certificate in its own name”, said Costain’s Construction Assurance Manager, Brian Dunn.

The submission, drawn up by Brian, summarised all the good work undertaken in the business in areas such as carbon, waste, recycling, energy and biodiversity.

Another Costain member of the A-one+ delegation, SHE Advisor Heidi Wood, had earlier been the recipient of 2014's Costain Climate Change award for innovation.

Ends

 

Media Enquiries
Costain Communications Department
01628 842585
[email protected]