October Newsletter
Welcome to the October 2009 issue of Xmo Strata's online newsletter.
To view a story, please click on the relevant headline below.
For further information please contact us or visit www.xmostrata.com
Content
- New checklist helps crews remember glove specifications
- Kate passes safety exam with flying colours
- Xmo Strata bags top health award
- Coteba contract won for Shell signware
- Steve Martin named as a finalist in SHP/IOSH awards 2009
- Financial managers back good signage during recession
- Xmo Strata trials a new Flex box tensioning system
- Managing Director runner-up in Kent's top awards
- Shell safety day: 'Talk not Tick'
- How far would you go for a good cause?
- Hearts and Minds behavioural change workshops steam ahead
- New York, New York - leader board update
- Forecourt canopy and structural repairs
New checklist helps crews remember glove specifications
Crews recently reported that remembering safety glove ratings was proving difficult. As we now stipulate that gloves with specific resistant ratings are to be used for each job, it was crucial that we addressed the issue as a priority.
With this in mind, and as part of our commitment to employee safety, we have developed a new checklist for all crews to carry with them while on-site. This document contains a reminder on how to asses the suitability of gloves to protect against abrasion, blade cuts, punctures and tears.
For further information, or if you would like a copy of this document please call Natascha Strydom on 0845 2300 460
Kate passes safety exam with flying colours
Congratulations to our Operations Manager, Kate Parmentier, for passing the NEBOSH (National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health) General Certificate last month.
Kate achieved a pass with a credit, and has now met the academic requirements to apply for Technician membership of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).
Amongst other topics, the course covered the management of workplace hazards (including identification and control) and the main legal requirements for health and safety in the UK.
Well done Kate!
For further information on this course or others offered by NEBOSH, please visit http://www.nebosh.org.uk/
Xmo Strata bags top health award
TV newsreader Katie Derham presented Managing Director Steve Martin with the Health, Work and Well-being Award for Small Business (less than 250 employees) in the South of England at the National Business Awards Regional Programme black tie event at The Hilton Hotel, Park Lane, London on Tuesday July 14.
The judges praised the company for culture, and for leadership, innovation and employee engagement “fuelled by regulatory challenges and growth”.
“To win an award like this from a list of finalists which was dominated by health and well-being companies was absolutely phenomenal,” said Steve.
“Health and safety nowadays is about much more than simply looking after your employees, although that is clearly a key motivating factor. It's closely linked to training, staff development and quality and is about generating value for customers by reducing repeat call outs and getting the work right first time. It is also - of course - about reducing the customer's exposure to liability.”
Success
Lorraine Agnew, of headline sponsors Orange, said: “The success of each winner should be highlighted so that suppliers, partners and customers know that they are dealing with an organisation that is forward thinking and vibrant in its approach.”
Steve will make a final presentation to the judging panel at the beginning of October in a bid to take home the National programme award in the same category. Xmo Strata is one of the only companies in this category that does not count safety services (courses, workshops etc) as a commercial offering, making the position as a finalist even more unique. Fingers crossed and watch this space...
A cut above the rest: Xmo Strata wins contract with Coteba
In such a tough economic climate, where competition is fierce and the risk of companies cutting corners to save a few pounds is becoming increasingly popular, we caught up with Mark Day, Project Executive for Coteba, to find out what made Xmo Strata a cut above the rest in winning a major contract with the company this year.
Mark, how long is this contract for and what will it involve?
Xmo Strata will be involved in the new-build and image upgrades on Shell sites across the UK, including the fitting of price signs, LED red bar, canopy/car wash/shop fascias and secondary signs.
Coteba manages all of the Shell site rebuilds, new image upgrades (known as RVIe), dealer rebrands and forecourt refurbishment work. The contract with Xmo Strata is initially for two years although it is extendable to three if both parties are happy.
What qualities do you look for in suppliers?
Although this will inevitably sound like a cliché, we are genuinely looking to deliver great value to our customers whilst raising the bar in terms of health and safety.
I am ultimately responsible for ensuring good safety, good performance, good value and good management of all suppliers contracted on our projects, and the risk of suppliers failing is higher than it has been for many years due to the recession.
To protect everyone, I look for a strong financial credit rating, exemplary safety standards (including documentation and evidence of safe working practices) and a transparency of the project as a whole - be it cost, safety or otherwise.
These things can only be provided by suppliers who have similar business values and work ethics to Coteba.
Which particular boxes did Xmo Strata tick to win the contract?
I think it goes without saying that Xmo Strata is recognised in the industry as being the market leader in terms of health and safety, and while that is admirable and certainly a huge influencing factor, the company also stood up well in price comparisons too.
Xmo Strata has an excellent credit score and the management systems, data capture and ability to offer added value over the lifetime of the contract were all boxes that were firmly ticked.
Steve Martin named as a finalist in SHP/IOSH awards 2009
On 21 October Managing Director, Steve Martin, will attend this year's SHP/IOSH award evening to find out if he will take home the title of ‘Achiever of the Year’.
Steve will be up against five other finalists and is the only one who was also a finalist in 2008.
The award welcomed entries from ‘individuals who have surmounted significant obstacles to improve health and safety in their organisation - and beyond’.
Please keep an eye on the website for further news
Good luck Steve!
Financial Managers back good signage during recession
Research we conducted recently revealed that finance managers - traditionally the gatekeepers in a recession - are just as keen as marketing managers on good signage during the tough times.
Researchers at The Survey Shop were tasked with quizzing 50 marketing managers and 50 finance managers (e.g. finance directors, purchasing managers etc) about the value of signage during a recession.
Asked to rate the importance of signage in getting customers in to their retail outlets, on a scale of 1 (not important) to 10 (very important), 76% of the finance managers gave scores of 8, 9 or 10. That compared with 72% for marketing managers.
“4% is not a statistically significant difference, and what this really says is that even in a recession, the financial disciplines are receptive to the importance of good signage," said Managing Director Steve Martin. "It's interesting that the marketing people - who might be expected to be lobbying for greater expenditure - and the finance people, who might be expected to keep a tight rein on the purse strings - have pretty much the same view.”
Previous research announced earlier in the recessionary cycle showed that finance managers were bullish about signage in some respects - whilst 32% of marketing managers expected signage budgets to be cut, only 18% of financial managers had the same expectation.
The full research results can be seen at http://www.xmostrata.com/sign-maintenance/survey.php
Xmo Strata trials a new Flex box tensioning system
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Benefits include:
- Increased durability
- No joins or gaps
- Ease of removal for maintenance purposes
- Crease-free due to self-tensioning
- Ease and efficiency of installation
For further information on this trial please contact us
Managing Director runner-up in Kent's top awards
Managing Director Steve Martin has been named as a runner-up in the Kent Excellence in Business Awards (KEiBA) 2009 for ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’.
Although he didn't make it to the top spot, the award judges were full of praise for him and the company: “This is a relatively small company that acts and behaves like a big company and is highly regarded by the biggest of multi-nationals.”
Steve commented: “I may not have taken home the award but to come in the top three of the whole county was a big achievement in itself.”
For further information on the winners and finalists of the awards, please visit http://server5a.pressmart.net/keiba/index.aspx
Shell safety day: ‘Talk Not Tick‘
On 8 July 2009, we hosted the Shell safety day at our head office in Kent.
Various contractors were invited to the day which looked at improving safety on Shell sites with the introduction of a new initiative ‘Talk Not Tick’.
Talk Not Tick has been designed to ensure that on-site staff understand, and can demonstrate, what they can do to make a job safe. The emphasis is on discussing jobs and not just ticking boxes during an audit exercise.
Many thanks to all those involved.
How far would you go for a good cause?
A 1,000 mile bike ride from one end of the country to the other in 10 days, battling against torrential downpours, and setting-up camp every night when your body is begging for sleep. Could you do it?
We know a man who did, and it was all in the name of charity!
Nick Galanis - son of Xmo Strata's strategic partner Alex Galanis of Vicom 4 International - braved the elements, cycling between Land's End and John O'Groats, to raise money for Brain Tumour UK. Here, he tells us of the journey and the challenges he faced along the way.
You set yourself quite a challenge. How did this trip come about?
I recently learned that a close friend of mine has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour and decided, along with another friend, Ed Latham, that I wanted to do something to show my support. Both Ed and I enjoy tough physical challenges and we decided to do something that would reflect the determination shown by our friend and his family in dealing with his illness. If he were in full health, this is a challenge he would have taken on himself without hesitation.
10 days really does sound challenging, I would expect it to take a lot longer...
It seemed like a nice round number, 1,000 miles in total, 100 miles a day. This is the target that most end-to-end riders would set for themselves, however, hardly any attempt it with all their gear on the bike too (if they did, it would normally take around 14 days). Generally, anyone doing this in the time we did, would have a support vehicle to carry all the equipment and a driver who would set-up camp etc. We didn't have such luxuries!
We figured that the harder the challenge was, the more likely people would be to sponsor us therefore the more money we could raise.
What kit did you have to carry with you?
We each carried a tent, a sleeping bag and roll mat, spare clothes - both cycling and casual - minimal toiletries (hygiene was sacrificed somewhat!), torches, a camping stove and a lot of specialist sports and nutrition bars and powders to help fuel the muscles.
What were the weather conditions like?
Very mixed, the first few days it threatened to rain and then sometime around day four it turned quite nasty. The last day was a real killer; it was the day with the biggest climbs and the worst weather. We had seven hours of torrential rain with visibility of around 25m.
Were there any moments when you wanted to give up and have a lie-in?
Pretty much every morning when the alarm went off! My legs were begging me to stay in bed. The weather on the last day, combined with how tired we were, just made the end even more special.
How much did you raise in total?
In total we raised almost £3,000 of which £1,500 will be donated to Brain Tumour UK. The remainder will go to Ed's chosen charity Help for Heroes.
How will this money be used by the charity?
Brain Tumour UK provides practical and emotional support to brain tumour patients and their families. It aims to increase the awareness and knowledge of the illness, fund research, improve access to information and support and enhance treatment and care.
Currently, research is grossly under-funded and support for those affected is fragmented and inadequate; so thank you to all those who sponsored us, the money really is going to a good cause.
For further information on Brain Tumour UK please visit http://www.braintumouruk.org.uk/
If you would like to sponsor Nick retrospectively and support Brain Tumour UK, please visit http://www.justgiving.com/Nick-Galanis/
Hearts and Minds behavioural change workshops steam ahead
Employees and customers have attended a further three Hearts and Minds courses including:
- 15 May 2009 - ABB UK Head Office, Warrington
- 16 July 2009 - Holiday Inn, Leicester Central
- 26 August 2009 - Xmo Strata Head Office, Kent
This course has been developed to enhance the safety culture of Xmo Strata. It takes attendees through the implications of poor workplace safety and looks at real examples of accidents and how they can affect everyone involved. The course also covers how we receive and respond to safety messages and how we can be more proactive in spotting and eliminating potential hazards.
In total, over 100 employees, subcontractors and customers have now completed the course.
Many thanks to Dave Walker (ABB), Kevin Sparrow-Saunt (ABB), Tony Durrant (Global Alliance), Richard Miller (ABB), David Barr (ABB), Richard Newman (ABB), Mark Day (Coteba), Mark Goldsworthy (Coteba) and Steve Beale (WR Refrigeration) for supporting these courses and showing their commitment to helping us achieve a workplace where ‘No-one gets hurt’.
To see further images or information regarding these events, please visit http://www.xmostrata.com/health/heartsminds.php
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| Photo of Hearts and Minds courses in Leicester | |
New York, New York - leader board update
Employees vying for the chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to New York are hot on each other's tails in the final three months of the competition.
As part of the Hearts and Minds initiative, we are offering one team and their partners the chance to win this amazing trip. We're even throwing in some spending money too!
The main judging criteria are in the following areas:
- Proactive safety behaviour
- Improved quality near-miss reporting
- Identifying and eliminating risks at source
To date, 143 near-misses have been reported this year, an increase on the same period last year of 151%.
Many thanks to everyone involved for making this initiative a success and helping us to create a safer working environment. The more near-misses reported, the less hazards we face on-site everyday. Keep up the good work.
Winners will be announced at the 2009 safety day on 11th December.
Forecourt canopy and structural repairs
Did you know that as well as sign installation and sign maintenance, Xmo Strata also offers a full range of image, signware and canopy related repairs on forecourts?
Forecourts are busy places and are particularly susceptible to the dangers of moving vehicles, flammable substances, adverse weather conditions and on-site-works.
If repairs fail to be made, they not only compromise the reputation and brand image of the site, they have the potential to seriously injure site patrons.
For more information on the repair services we offer, please visit http://www.xmostrata.com/offer/structuralrepair.php
Guttering
Canopy
Under-sheeting
Stanchion
Cladding
Structural
