The programme has been specially designed to fully engage its workforce, and provides enhanced learning compared to standard industry toolbox talks and safety alerts. The programme has initially been targeted at our VolkerTelecoms projects, who work in the vicinity of underground utilities on a daily basis.

Having identified that a large proportion of its subcontract labour are Romanian, the entire programme has been delivered in Romanian. Thanks to help from VolkerTelecoms’ Romanian speaking supervisors and supply chain partners. The programme coincides with a recent Protect Our People safety stand down day, delivered to our entire operational workforce.

All resources including a ‘dangers from underground services’ presentation, prompt cards, posters and safe digging guides have been translated into Romanian. In addition, one of our clients, CityFibre, has translated the ‘HSG47 - Avoiding danger from underground services’ – the HSE safe digging code of practice, the ‘Red TM Book’ on safety at street and road works code of practice, build specifications and toolbox talks into Romanian and Polish.

All supply chain partners working on VolkerTelecoms’ projects were invited to the session, which received high engagement, with several important Q&As raised.

VolkerHighways has already started to roll out the programme to our highway term maintenance contracts and is looking forward to engaging with its supply chain partners within this division.

Jason Convey, head of HSEQS for VolkerHighways, said: “It is our priority to ensure we are doing everything we can as a business to improve communications, particularly for our supply chain partners where English is not their first language. We are proud to be rolling out this programme to help educate the industry on the dangers of working around underground service strikes and what individuals can do to ensure they always return home safely at the end of each day.”