www.audas.co.uk September 2014

SHEQ Newsletter

M&S Scunthorpe After 10 weeks on site at the M&S

Scunthorpe project we are due to

hand over at PC on the 13th October

2014.

It’s all been going on at site since we

last updated you: the café is now

complete; all fridge cases have been

installed; automatic doors and blinds

have been fitted across the store; 17

phase loose equipment commences

this week; the escalators are installed

and commissioned and the external

signage is in-situ. The countdown to

PC has begun.

On a separate note the team have

been out and about in the

community since the beginning of the

project with a school visit to the local

Berkeley Primary School to deliver

the message on dangers of building

sites to children. This was followed

up by a 2nd visit by Steve Bray,

Director, Lindsay Bowker,

Environmental & Quality Manager

and Kallum Seymour, NEET worker,

to award prizes for the winning

entries for the poster competition.

The school were delighted with our

visits and the event was recorded in

the Scunthorpe’ Telegraph’.

The team also hosted a visit from the

‘Moving Forward Group’

in August which was again reported

by the Scunthorpe’ Telegraph’. The

group is made up of members of the

Scunthorpe Retail park community.

They have maintained an interest in

the development from the planning

stage throughout. The group, who

are avid supports of the new retail

park, specifically requested a sneak

preview at the M&S unit and of

course Audas were happy to oblige.

The Considerate Constructors have

also paid a visit to site. Monitor

Kelvin spent a good three hours on

site getting a ‘feel’ for our activities.

He was very impressed with the site

appearance and our commitment to

the scheme’s objectives. The CCS is

now partnering with the Prince’s

Trust to support the 16-24 year old

youth unemployment – needless to

say we have had two such work

placements on site during the project

duration John & Kallum. We have this

week received our score of 36 out of

50 and certificate for “Performance

Beyond Compliance”.

On a final note, in line with our

awareness and commitment to waste

minimisation, we were able to source

a local company to offload nearly a

hundred pallets for recycling/reuse.

M&S Initiatives Roll Out The Initiatives rollout commenced back in July and since then we have seen real progress made on

sites across the UK. Of late we have seen regional centre projects: Edinburgh; The Gyle & Kensington

PC with great success. Regional server store - Nottingham has also PC’d in September run by Jordan

Sellars. Andy’s team are busy maintaining the pace with the rest of the initiative rollout. Works are

also well under way within the ‘regional server’ stores: Pudsey; Chester; Gemini; Handforth Dean and

Manchester. To-date, we have had 10 schemes running on initiatives alone. As is the case in this fast

moving industry, the team have had their challenges but have conquered and kept ‘all plates spinning’.

We are pleased to report that the high profile store, Kensington, has been chosen for a ‘model store

visit’ by M&S senior management to showcase the new menswear department. A feather in the cap

for Audas and well done to John Grace for delivering the project to such a high standard.

www.audas.co.uk September 2014

SHEQ Newsletter

00

HSE ‘Safer Sites’ Initiative Autumn 2014

‘Health, as well as Safety’ is the message during the HSE’s autumn initiative. As increasingly poor

standards and unsafe practices on building sites are being reported a nationwide drive aimed at

reducing ill health, death and injury within the industry is being launched.

Having seen a lack of basic welfare on site HSE Inspectors, from 22nd

September until 17th

October, will carry out unannounced visited to sites where refurbishment projects are underway.

Throughout the month long initiative Inspectors will ensure high-risk activities especially those

affecting the health and wellbeing of workers are being managed properly. The aims of the

initiative are; to achieve an improvement of industry standards, increase the awareness of

HSE expectations in the industry and to demonstrate that HSE will use their enforcement

tools at its disposal to prevent risk and bring about improvements.

During the inspections the HSE will be looking for:

• risks to health from exposure to dust such as silica are being controlled.

• workers are aware of where they may find asbestos, and what to do if they find it

• other health risks, such as exposure to noise and vibration, manual handling,

hazardous substances are being properly managed

• jobs that involve working at height have been identified and properly planned to

ensure that appropriate precautions, such as proper support of structures, are in

place

• equipment is correctly installed / assembled, inspected and maintained and used

properly

• sites are well organised, to avoid trips and falls, walkways and stairs are free from

obstructions and welfare facilities are adequate.

The Audas Wall of Fame…

New additions B&Q apron & t-shirt from

the Penrith launch.

B&Q & Audas

We have now received the ‘green

light’ for works to commence at the

B&Q Bamber Bridge store with a

planned handover for Easter 2015.

B&Q and Morrisons submitted

proposals to South Ribble Council to

divide the existing store in Craven

Drive, Bamber Bridge, into a smaller

B&Q store and a new food store which

have now been approved.

The proposal will mean the future of

B&Q in Bamber Bridge will be secured

and about 300 jobs will be created at

the new Morrisons.

In addition, we will be working

closely with B&Q on the feasibility

stage of their stores in Cheetham Hill

and Middlesborough.

www.audas.co.uk September 2014

SHEQ Newsletter

Hot off the press… You may have seen in the press that Vodafone have acquired 140 new stores from ‘Phones 4 U’. The

plan is to rebrand the stores before the end of Nov – with Audas being 1 of 5 contractors nominated to carry out this

work. Vodafone then anticipate refitting all 140 acquisitions as part of the current framework roll out – looks like 2015

will be busy for the Audas Vodafone team.

The team are receiving consistent excellent feedback, for the current workload, on our service and the quality of work

being carried out. We have set the bar and will be striving to maintain this high standard. An example of the feedback

being received:-

“The store opened successfully yesterday and Liz Young informed me today that it is the

best the Regional Manager has seen so far, so well done!”.

To date we have completed stores at: Goole, Retford, Runcorn, South Shields,

Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Accrington & Belfast and we have current ‘live’

projects at Morpeth, Alton & Whitehaven.

Vodafone Update

Audas ‘Waist Management Team’

In September, various members of the team came together to form the Audas ‘Waist Management

Team’. The aim is to motivate each other to lose weight, become healthier and ultimately see

inches disappear from those waist lines.

The Admin team will track the progress of the team and the winner and runner up will be announced

on Audas day. (80% of the pot to the biggest loser, 20% to runner up). We are of course periodically

reporting the cumulative weekly weight loss.

To help motivation levels stay at a high, each week a leaflet of helpful tips and interesting hints on

weight loss will be issued to the whole of ‘Team Audas’ to help everyone reduce/maintain their

waist lines. To date our cumulative weight loss is 27lbs. A great effort for Week 1!

To kick start our weight loss campaign and improve our heart health Anna, the Audas Accounts

Assistant, has kindly donated pedometers for the whole team. The British Heart Foundation advises

that whilst any increase in activity will benefit your health, achieving a total of 30 minutes of at

least moderate intensity physical activity a day on 5 or more days a week will produce the

best long-term benefits for most people. One way of helping you to achieve the

recommended 30 minutes a day is to aim to take 10,000 steps a day. On average people take between

3,000 and 5,000 steps a day, but this isn’t enough. So get some comfy shoes on, obtain your

pedometer and get walking to the shops instead of driving! Drop Rose a line to request

your pedometer.

www.audas.co.uk September 2014

SHEQ Newsletter

Quantity Surveyors Dan McCarthy and Nabiliah Salihi

are running the Wirral half marathon on the 12th

October in appreciation of, and to raise funds for, the

Royal Liverpool Hospital who looked after Dan’s dad

throughout his recent illness – and who is now on the

road to recovery.

Audas are supporting them in their efforts by

guessing their respective finish times. Dan’s

predicted time is 1hr 35 minutes, whereas Nabilah is

1hr 30 minutes. To join in the fund raising jot your

name down along with the estimated time on the

tracker located on the office notice board or speak to

Admin Apprentice Sam Braysford. Its £1 a go and the

nearest winning time bags you a tenner!

The Audas Admin Team…

Since the last newsletter the Admin team has

changed dramatically…

Lindsay Bowker, Environmental & Quality

Manager, is now heading up the team with

Rose Walton, Snr Admin, ensuring the day to

day running of the Admin team goes without

a hitch. Vicki Walsh, (right), our new

administrator, who is doing a stirling job with

maintaining our training database and

requirements. Sam Braysford, (middle), is

our H&S folders and site orders ‘whizz’.

Remember to send Admin requests to Rose.

It’s safe to say that the Admin team is

supporting ‘Team Audas’ better than ever.

Welcome to the Team!

August saw our latest addition to the team,

new Administrator, Vicki Walsh.

Retail Asbestos Seminar

Phil Sharp & Martin Brophy recently attended the Retail Asbestos

Working Group (RAWG) Seminar in Leeds. The group is supported by

the HSE and looks at sharing best practice in all areas of retail asbestos

issues; from the day to day management of asbestos materials in

premises to large Asbestos removal projects. RAWG is made up of

various H&S Managers and Directors from the retail sector including

our client M&S and other blue-chip retailers. Their aim is to promote

the continuous improvement of asbestos management within the

retail sector. Most importantly RAWG, is committed in getting the

smaller independent retailers, as well as the larger organisations

involved and to make them aware of their responsibilities as a duty

holder under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.

Near Miss Reporting Audas have had 64 near

misses to date. Our culture of near miss

reporting has many benefits including:

proactively resolves hazards; engages workers

at all levels; increases ownership of safety;

exposes valuable information & develops a

positive attitude towards health & safety.