CITB Growth Fund has part funded guidance that actively reduces accidents on site.

“Some content from the guidance will be generic enough to be taken forward by other federations and their membership. This has happened with previous Growth Fund projects.”

Improving health and safety across sites using consistent, straight-forward and visual information was CONSTRUCT’s goal when they applied to CITB’s Growth Fund to part fund an environmental register of legislation.

Tracey Stafford, Training Manager, said: “The request came directly from our members who were looking for clear guidance to aid communication and improve standards of health and safety across their sites. They also wanted to introduce common practiceacross industry and sites. “

“We could see this guidance would directly support the target of improving HS&E and contribute to the reduction of accidents and incidents on site. We had been successful in two previous Growth Fund applications, having originally heard about the fund from Paul Gaze and Martin Driver of CITB National Specialist Team.”

Vital support from Growth Fund

Without the Growth Fund, Tracey said the federation, which represents employers in the RC Frame construction sector,would not have been able to fund the work required or employ the resource and knowledge of HS&E specialists.

“It has allowed us to create the guidance documents in a shorter time by employing assistance from HS&E professionals. It’s also helped us engage with the industry including our members more as we consult them on what is needed and what common practices are currently in place.”

Tracey was very positive about both the fund and CITB teams who, she said, “have been fantastic in providing guidance and support through the whole process from discussing the concept to writing the bid and now as we undertake the project itself”.

Measurable project outcomes

Despite having found areas of the project a challenge, such as getting the pictorial elements and identifying what is accurate common or best practice, the projectis on track and due for completion in September 2014. At this point, the full suite of documents will be presented to members and the wider industry.

“It is only at this point that we will truly get the opportunity to measure the impact and changes to behaviour we imagined as our overall outcome,” Tracey said.

Wider role for generic guidance

In order to extend the reach of the finished guidance, Tracey said the team had been working with the National Specialist Contractors Council to collate the information for an Accident Statistics document, included in the project.

“Our links with the NSCC will allow us to put forward the final HS&E Guidance products to other federations within their membership. We hope that the content of some of the guidance will be viewed as generic enough to be taken forward by them and their membership, which has happened with previous Growth Fund projects.”

“All in all, the Growth Fund has been a fantastic opportunity for CONSTRUCT to develop a number of ideas to actual publications and support documents that our members have welcomed and are using in their daily business.

International value of Fund

“We have had success with previous projects part funded by the Growth Fund which have been taken much wider in the industry by other federations and individuals working on the other side of the world. While the Growth Fund continues to be available we are planning further bids to be submitted in 2014.”

  • Find out more about how CITB Growth Fund is helping change industry (link)