Welcome to the second in a series of five reports, on a topic that is related to our work, that is associated with the theme of World FM Day 2020.
Safety in the workplace
Since PTSG launched 13 years ago, the safety of our people and everyone else that comes into contact with our work has been our most important consideration. Much of our work is safety-critical, being undertaken at height, involving electrical systems or other potentially hazardous equipment. That’s why we were one of the first organisations of our kind to employ a full-time department dedicated to health, safety and the environment (HSE).
Our proactive approach was recognised by the industry at an early stage in our operation and earlier this year we received a prestigious RoSPA Gold Medal, which signifies at least five consecutive RoSPA Golds. In PTSG’s case that total is eight consecutive gold commendations.
As the name of our HSE department indicates, our experts are dedicated not just to the health and safety of our people but to the preservation of the environment in which we operate.
This goes beyond a reduction of carbon emissions (enabled by a network of local specialists, which vastly reduces travel to sites) and recycling and repurposing equipment and materials. We are also conscious of the impact our work has on other people living or working close by. We always endeavour to work at times that cause the least possible noise and disturbance. We also use sound-proof barriers on site to reduce noise.
We go to these lengths because we care about the communities in which we work and want to promote considerate working. This goes hand in hand with our forward-thinking approach to mental health, ensuring our people, our customers and everyone affected by our work are an integral part of our plans.
PTSG’s leadership team has put a greater emphasis on improving access to internal support services, tackling stigma and discrimination, as well as focusing on prevention to improve the overall mental health state of the people working for the company.
In order to create a mentally healthy workplace, we have put in place a comprehensive strategy to help our people stay well at work, to tackle the root causes of work-related mental health problems and to support people who are experiencing a mental health problem.
The current COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of how serious we need to be in our approach to health and safety, which can make the difference between life and death. It has also underlined the importance of mental wellbeing, which will continue to be our priority, alongside physical wellbeing.
