Company Registration Examples of Good Practice

Enhancing the Appearance

Constructors should ensure sites appear professional and well managed.

• A bespoke housekeeping record was established for each individual project and a nominated person was made responsible for checking all was in good order on a daily basis. At the end of each shift, this person was responsible for checking there were no loose materials or debris lying around the site perimeter that had the potential to be used as missiles (whether this was of the contractor's own making or otherwise).

• On completion of alteration works, rather than simply undertaking a routine builder's clean, the contractor arranged for a professional cleaning company to come and thoroughly clean the areas affected by construction work.

• As part of the general housekeeping protocol, company vehicles were regularly inspected for general cleanliness and appearance. Fines were imposed on any driver who fell below the required standard.

• Packs of clear plastic tack mats or overshoes are provided at the work area entrance.

• An 'A frame' type board was adapted in order to display the CCS posters on a site where permanent signage was not feasible. The board was put on display by day and removed each evening.

• To help keep areas outside the site tidy, the site manager held a litter picking day to clean up a neglected area adjacent the site, and placed recycling and litterbins around the perimeter of the site for use by the public. Following this, a weekly checklist was developed to ensure that high standards of litter picking, welfare facilities, parking signage, fencing, and road cleanliness were maintained.

• The site manager implemented a 'Tidy Friday' initiative to monitor, clean, and tidy up all areas of the site at the end of each week.

• All vehicles leaving the site first had to pass a cleanliness check with the banksman.

• On this short duration project, all operatives on induction were presented with a bag containing a full set of company branded PPE.

• A PPE inspection was carried out at the start of each week. Dirty or damaged PPE was cleaned or replaced.

• A sports bag was provided to encourage all operatives to wear clean clothes when travelling to and from the workplace.

• The company operated an 'operative of the month' award specifically to recognise outstanding conduct and personal presentation.

Respecting the Community

Constructors should give utmost consideration to their impact on neighbours and the public.

• Prior to arriving on site, in addition to distributing introductory letters to those affected by the works, personal contact was made with immediate neighbours to give advice on the nature of the work and to help with any queries they may have.

• The company manager made contact with a residents' association in the area in which works were being carried out. A visit was arranged to explain what the project entailed and if there were any community issues he needed to be aware of or could contribute to.

• All site personnel were familiarised with the protocol for dealing with general enquiries from members of the public, i.e. listening to their requests and comments and how to deal with it in an appropriate manner (or escalate as necessary).

• Prior to work commencing, all site personnel were personally introduced to the occupants of the property in which they were working.

• Outside of the contract, a small amount of maintenance work was carried out on an elderly neighbour's property.

• The site manager asked the adjoining neighbours if there was a preferred time when localised drilling could be carried out.

• The contractor noticed that a neighbour had put out washing in their rear garden, so waited until this was taken in before demolishing the small outhouses on the property he was working on.

• Prior to painting out graffiti on site hoardings, photographs were taken and made available to the police, to see if they could identify the individual 'tags'.

• An interactive, professional looking site blog has been established to keep interested parties informed of site progress and news, as well as a forum for debate, compliments and complaints about the site.

• The company updates its website with footage from webcams to keep their clients and customers abreast of each individual site's progress.

• Without being prompted, the contractor sheeted the top levels of exterior scaffolding, so that neighbours would not be overlooked during the construction period.

• The site manager kept a record of the car registration numbers of all operatives in the event that a complaint was made with regard to nuisance parking.

• If the site manager had to leave the project for any reason, a nominated person was made responsible for dealing with any enquiries in his or her absence.

• The contractor made enquiries on behalf of the building owner's son who had shown an interest in working in construction on leaving school. Through his understanding of the education process, the contractor obtained a suitable contact name and telephone number for a well renowned training organisation.

• A company representative made contact with the local police station to advise them of the project's duration etc, and to seek information on any relevant security issues that may need to be considered.

• Meetings were held with tenants for them to decide what behaviour they expect from operatives who visit their homes.

• As well as providing contact details to immediate neighbours for use in the event of any queries etc. the contractor informed the neighbours that the site was registered under the Scheme and took the time to explain what being registered entailed.

• Neighbours were notified before major deliveries and specific site activities, e.g. before the erection of steel work, not only to explain the impact of the delivery, but also to explain the visual change that would occur.

• The site displayed a QR code linked to the contractor's website which had up to date information and contact details. As an additional means of engagement with the community, Facebook and Twitter accounts were also set up.

• A poster on the hoarding invited local residents to a 'drop in' meeting with the site manager on a regular basis.

• There was a well-used 'comments box' for the neighbours of the site. Any action resulting from the comments was posted on an information board.

• A separate compound for all cutting and grinding was created within the site, and shielded from the neighbours and the public.

• The site engineer contacted a partially sighted neighbour to explain the layout of temporary works outside her home and to assist her with familiarisation.

• In this highly sensitive location, adjacent to a cemetery entrance, the standard corporate hoardings were repainted in a quieter more restrained colour.

• The site undertook neighbour surveys regularly during the works and then displayed "You Said – We Did" notices for the information of passers-by.

• To overcome a lack of on-site parking, and minimise inconvenience to those nearby, alternative arrangements were made including the use of a local rugby club car park in exchange for carrying out repairs and the renting of a car park for the duration of the project, from where operatives were brought to site by minibus. An operatives' car share scheme was also promoted and monitored.

• The most appropriate routes to the site were agreed with the Highways Agency. They were published and issued to all subcontractors, suppliers and visitors.

• Delivery drivers were asked to contact the site when they were close, so that appropriate measures could be taken to allow wagon access to the site, thereby minimising traffic delays.

• There were numerous detailed examples of goodwill gestures, including: the donation of surplus materials; providing physical and technical help and assistance; providing sponsorship to local charities, schools and clubs; organising 'fun days' for charities, schools and clubs; offering use of part of the site to the community, e.g. as a car park or a temporary allotment; operatives donating children's games, books, and toys to the local hospice.

• A community notice board was located within the canteen providing an opportunity for community groups and small businesses to advertise themselves to those working and visiting the site.

• Complaints were pre-empted by inviting neighbours' input at the pre-start stage and discussing this with community representatives.

• The adjoining shop premises displayed the site's regular newsletter and kept a stock of CCS 'Construction work in your area' flyers to give to interested customers.

• The site provided a covered public observation point with a brief description of what was, and would be, happening, together with a CCS poster and Scheme-related information.

• The company manager contacted local schools and colleges and arranged career days and offered mentoring to those interested in a career in the industry, including reviewing CVs, mock interviews and completing application forms. There was also a manned stand at the school parents' evening to answer questions about the project and provide information on careers in the industry.

 

Protecting the Environment

Constructors should protect and enhance the environment.

• In addition to the main induction subjects, an environmental section was introduced that explained the project's environmental issues and outlined the environmental standards that were expected.

• Operatives were asked to contribute to an environmental risk register. Not only were their suggestions immensely beneficial to the overall process, but their environmental awareness increased as a result.

• A contractor recognised that noise and dust were often the two most common environmental concerns identified for each project. Several members of the regular workforce attended a seminar that explained how best to reduce and mitigate these particular aspects of a project.

• A nominated person was made responsible for carrying out waste audits at regular intervals, i.e. to establish quantities and type of waste generated, reasons why and cost implications etc. The findings were discussed with the site team and recommendations put in place for future improvement.

• The contractor made a conscious attempt to purchase materials that had a recycled content. He also asked suppliers to minimise packaging and to guarantee a 'take back service' (particularly for pallets).

• In addition to requiring all operatives to attend Key Skills testing for literacy and numeracy, the contractor provided half day training on environmental issues and the importance of recycling site waste.

• The company provided bicycles for all office staff to cycle to work. After 12 months of continuous use, staff members were allowed to keep the bicycles.

• A skip company prepares a proactive design service for customers regarding the optimum method of removing waste from its sites in the most economical manner. Formal analysis is submitted prior to appointment.

• Information about the site's environmental performance was displayed prominently on the hoarding, including % waste diverted from landfill and power and water usage.

• To promote awareness, the site introduced a 'cycle to the shops' initiative in which a bicycle was made available to operatives rather than using a car or van.

• Timers were fitted to all socket outlets to ensure that IT and other equipment was not left on at night.

• The site offices and facilities were retro-fitted with movement sensors and timers to operate the lights and thermostats.

• Every effort was made to reuse materials on site, e.g. off-cut timber for shuttering; subsoil and topsoil for earth bunds, landscaping, and planted areas; chipped wood-bark for footpaths; crushed demolition waste for hard-standing, etc.

• The site introduced a site energy and carbon reduction checklist and provided toolbox talks to the operatives about what they could do as individuals to be more energy efficient.

• The site provided a mobile phone charging station powered by a small solar panel.

• Solar panels were used to power temporary traffic lights.

• A bunded area was set up within the site compound for all refuelling. Spillage and cleaning equipment was also contained within this area.

• Two operatives were selected to be specially trained in cleaning up any spillages. These operatives were clearly identifiable.

• The site created a paintbrush cleaning station to prevent contamination.

Securing everyone's Safety

Constructors should attain the highest levels of safety performance.

• Following their site induction, operatives were asked to complete a short assessment to determine how well they understood key points i.e. what is the name of your supervisor, do you require any further training to carry out your work? This also helped to establish their understanding of the English language.

• The contractor regularly downloads free safety information that is available from the HSE website and disseminates this to the workforce, via toolbox talks.

• Whenever a fire drill was carried out, the appointed fire marshal would photograph the assembled workforce as evidence that the drill had been undertaken.

• Every person on site is actively encouraged to participate in improving health and safety and to safeguard the environment. Details of minutes and discussions are freely posted so that everyone can be kept informed and can arrange for their views to be heard.

• PPE that is available to visitors is routinely cleaned and freshened up as soon as it is returned.

• A dedicated area was established for anyone wishing to make or receive telephone calls on site.

• Mobile phones banned on site except for supervisors who have received permission and are identifiable by a helmet sticker.

• The company provided branded work wear suitable for the different seasons of the year.

• As the site was spread over a relatively large area, all operatives were issued with a handout, giving details of local A&E facilities, and maps showing routes to them.

• A sat-nav was provided for the use of first aiders to direct them, in an emergency, to the nearest A&E.

• Operatives were provided with a 'passport' and helmet stickers as evidence of having successfully undergone the contractor's induction.

• Lone workers e.g. lift installers were contacted by mobile phone every hour.

• Safety reminders were displayed under Perspex on the table tops in the canteen. 

• Information boards for the general public were updated to show current hazards, safety information and safety statistics, including days without injury or incident.

• The Ivor Goodsite 'Hunt the Hazard!' site sign was displayed outside the site to educate a younger audience about site safety.

• Banksmen and traffic marshals at site entrances were supplied with 'lollipop warning signs' to warn traffic and pedestrians.

• A mobile phone text number was established to facilitate near miss reporting.

• Operatives were invited to sit in the cab of some of the machines on site to get a perspective of what plant operators can see.

• The site manager arranged a series of talks and presentations by relevant suppliers to ensure that operatives were made aware of the latest safety equipment, PPE, etc.

• Arrangements were made for a footwear specialist to visit the site and advise on the suitability of different types of protective footwear.

• The site set up a cordless culture for hand tools in conjunction with leading suppliers and provided battery banks at several locations with powerful batteries for quicker recharge.

• A 'driver's flyer' issued to all delivery drivers with relevant project details, site rules and on-site traffic plan.

Caring for the Workforce

Constructors should provide a supportive and caring working environment.

• The company encourages all personnel that smoke to join their 'Quit Smoking 2012' campaign. As an incentive, for every month a staff member/operative stays on the scheme, the company donates money to charity.

• A subcontractor was able to convince the main contractor and the multinational company to have a secluded smoking area on the site where there was a rule of no smoking within the client's boundary.

• The company has employed a socially excluded young person, identified through a specialist organisation, as an apprentice paver; in addition, the company has also identified a personal mentor to assist with training.

• In addition to site notices, a file was set up as a repository for all site related information and included literature such as the company's safety policy, environmental statement, emergency contact numbers, induction sheet etc. All site personnel were made aware of the file and were encouraged to read it, as well as contributing to it as necessary.

• On a particularly difficult site, the contractor asked the Scheme's office if a Monitor could be involved in pre-contract discussions to determine how compliance in some categories could be achieved.

• At the end of each induction, each operative was asked to suggest one unique example of an activity that could be implemented to help the company achieve a higher score under the Code of Considerate Practice.

• The company produced an internal document called 'Considerate Constructors Scheme (Key words & phrases)'. This document is presented at each induction and puts the company's requirements on every category of the Code of Considerate Practice.

• To encourage all site operatives to understand their place in society (all as part of their training), the company encouraged and established a wide variety of community based activities with which the operatives could become involved.

• A 'Respect for People' wall chart was displayed, recording satisfaction levels with welfare and other relevant topics.

• Questionnaires issued to all operatives to establish what can be done to improve working conditions, and "you said: we did" chart maintained.

• A 'Site Managers' Forum' meets on a different site every month to discuss common issues and to pass on good practice.

• Toolbox talks included a session on customer care, designed around feedback from residents' customer satisfaction surveys.

• Local teacher training college invited to give students work experience by teaching literacy and numeracy lessons on site.

• Questionnaires were issued to find out the preferred healthy eating foods to serve in the canteen.

• A 'Free Fruit Friday' initiative was launched to promote the benefits of a healthy diet.

• A dehydration colour chart in the toilets helped operatives to recognise the symptoms of dehydration.

• Advice leaflets on relevant health conditions as well as a card dealing with abusive and non-abusive behaviour were made available at induction.

• Battery charging lockers were provided.

• A boot cleaner was provided with brushes, water trough and hoses at the entrance to the welfare and site office accommodation.

• Toilet brushes were provided to encourage the cleaning of toilets before/after use.

• Toolbox talks were given about looking after facilities and helping to keep them well maintained, clean and hygienic.