Bateman as a National Safety Trailblazer

July 14, 2016

Bateman Groundworks is highlighted as a national exemplar of excellence for health and safety systems and leadership on the HSE website.

The HSE has chosen the company as an industry leader to inspire other companies to follow our practices.

Managing Director Richard Bateman has invested heavily in developing bespoke health and safety systems based on international standards and introducing a new site management tier, unique to companies of its size.

The HSE website highlights Bateman Groundworks’ key successes of engaging the workforce in health and safety discussions, which has saved money and led to successful solutions for safer working practices across its sites.

The anonymous ‘bright idea and bad idea’ suggestion boxes on all sites to improve company practices is highlighted.

“Communication has improved across the business. Observations get shared so that everyone is learning from each other,” the Leadership and Worker Involvement Toolkit on the website says.

“Senior managers have become more confident in running interactive briefings with workers to engage them in health and safety. Bovis Homes recommended the company to the HSE for its Leadership and Worker Involvement Toolkit.

Richard introduced a management system to set it apart from its competitors after the construction crash in 2008.

Health and Safety Advisor Alan Baugh, of Foley and Baugh Associates, said site managers had been “a significant investment for the company to select and equip these newly appointed site managers, some promoted from site foremen, with the necessary managerial and H&S competencies to effectively carry out this role,.”

“Richard Bateman’s investment in terms of site managers who are not producing any goods is immense. He doesn’t pass the cost of the site manager on to the client. In the end, the efficiency they have brought and the lack of incidents we have because we have these managers means we don’t incur costs that our competitors do,” he said.

“Bringing uniformity of good practice across the business brings efficiency and profitability. It is about loss prevention, and safety prevents financial loss.

“The more efficient a company is the first time, the fewer problems you will have and the less costly it is to the company.” Employees are given more responsibility for making health and safety decisions and sit on the health and safety committee.

“It brings uniformity and common purpose to the business, which means that the business is more efficient, profitable and safe. “Safety is a critical issue. We want all of our people at Bateman Groundworks to work safely and avoid any unwarranted accidents.”

“There are very few companies even above the level of Bateman that have 18001-standard systems. It is something that companies are striving towards.”

Bateman Groundworks’ case study can be found at: