Health and Safety

At Houlton we take health and safety very seriously. It is a permanent responsibility and every member of staff must observe health and safety rules at all times. 

Consequently the Company has employed a full time Health & Safety Manager for very many years and was a founder member of the Hull Building Safety Group who provide a regular independent safety audit of our construction sites. The Company’s record for health and safety has been recognised both locally and nationally with awards from respected organisations. In 2021 the Company achieved accreditation to ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health & Safety Management System, having previously been accredited to OHSAS 18001.

There is an active Houlton Health & Safety Committee which meets on a regular basis, including holding meetings on our construction sites where appropriate.

The Company will comply with its legal duties in order to provide a safe and healthy working environment for its employees and others affected by its activities. It will take positive action to ensure that other contractors’ employees, occupiers of premises and members of the public do not have their health and safety adversely affected by the work operations of the company.

The only acceptable standard of health and safety, and for welfare facilities, will be full and proper compliance with the requirements of legislation. Where it is possible and practical to do so, the Company will exceed the minimum requirements of the legislation.

The Company will approve each company with which it contracts or sub-contracts and ensure they aspire to a similar high standard of health and safety management.

In recognition of the importance that the Company places on the engagement and well-being of its employees, the Company will:

• Consult on health and safety matters with its employees and others who may work under its control. This is to ensure that the arrangements for health and safety management are practical to implement, effective and people are aware of their individual occupational health and safety obligations.

• As far as is reasonably practicable, fully and effectively control the health and safety risks arising from its work activities, in co-operation with employees, other contractors, clients and other relevant parties.

• Ensure that accident and ill-health prevention is given the highest priority, commensurate with business objectives, within all company operations.

• Investigate lapses in health and/or safety performance and implement remedial actions to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, their reoccurrence.

• Provide and ensure that all plant and equipment owned, used or hired by the company is appropriate, safe to use and properly maintained, inspected and tested.

• Ensure that all equipment, materials and substances used by the company are appropriate for their intended use and used, handled and stored safely.

• Ensure that all employees are provided with adequate supervisory training, information and instructions to competently carry out their work activities.

• Ensure that all working places are maintained in a safe and healthy condition.

• Provide adequate resources, including sufficient finance and access to competent health and safety advice, to achieve the aims of this policy.

• Review and revise this policy statement at regular intervals and also where necessary due to changes in the Company activities, legislation or identified improvements.

• Provide a visible management commitment to higher standards of health and safety achieved through monitoring performance and the continuous improvement of the health and safety culture throughout the Company.