Siemens wins national safety award for work at Severn Power

Siemens celebrated its success today in winning this year’s National Joint Council (NJC) for Engineering and Construction Safety Awards for its work at DONG Energy’s Severn Power combined cycle gas turbine power station at Uskmouth in Wales. The NJC Award for Safety is recognised within engineering construction as one of the premier safety accolades a project can receive. Siemens won the award for its health and safety performance over the lifetime of the project and for demonstrating best practice in employee safety engagement initiatives, such as its Zero Harm programme.

The NJC award is based not only on safety statistics, but also safety initiatives, systems, control measures and communication. The Siemens’ Zero Harm programme was introduced to help create a world-class safety culture. The initiative’s core purpose is to embed individual awareness of safety in the workplace and support a culture that places the safety of employees as the number one priority.

Richard Ash, Chairman of the NJC HSE Committee, said: It is easy to describe health and safety procedures. It is another thing to bring them to life. The Severn Power project was clearly a project which did this and where team work wasn't just a slogan. Siemens really lived it.

Siemens’ success recognised by the NJC award, included contractor and targeted employee initiatives to engage staff in owning and driving the safety culture and continuous improvement. Such initiatives included, active participation of workers in safety committees, management meetings, safety forums and the use of the Engineering Construction Industry Association’s Behavioural Slips and Trips scheme (BeST) as a tool for promoting behavioural safety.