A groundbreaking project between Leeds Beckett University and Leicester-based Aggregate Industries UK could increase company profitability by £8m within three years by reducing the risk of injury – as well as informing best practice around safety in the UK construction materials industry.
AIUK estimates that as a direct result of the project the company the increased profits will come from savings through reduced injuries, increased productivity due to work system redesign, reduced injury-related employee absence, and an increase in the number of bids won for new work.
The Safety Voice project was a two-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership, part-funded by the Government through Innovate UK with the objective of reducing transport-related risk across AIUK’s sites. The team – including Leeds Beckett psychology experts and a full-time KTP Associate – created a dynamic toolkit to reduce future incidents and fatalities. This is now being rolled out across the organisation worldwide and creating a safer and healthier place for employees.
The project was led by Dr Jim Morgan, Principal Lecturer and Leader of the Psychology Applied to Safety and Health (PASH) research group at Leeds Beckett. He said: “We have designed a toolkit, using academic theory and models, which proactively identifies safe and unsafe behaviours within the business. This includes a step-by-step process for developing work system redesign – the way work is planned and conducted – and behaviour change programmes. This means AIUK can fully understand the underlying factors that influence their workplace safety and are putting in place strategies to prevent fatalities and reduce future incidents.”
The KTP has now been graded ‘Outstanding’ by independent assessors at Innovate UK – this is the highest possible rating awarded to projects.
A key element of the KTP’s success was Laura Jackson – the full-time Associate recruited to manage the project as a member of the AIUK team, with the support of the Leeds Beckett academic experts. She led four research studies, including questionnaires and interviews involving more than 280 drivers, and a highly innovative eye tracking and sleep study.
The Safety Voice Toolkit supports AIUK’s long-term aim to be the safest company in the industry, and to achieve ‘zero harm’ in its workplaces. It will be shared across the UK construction materials industry to inform best practice.
Laura Jackson has secured a newly-created role at AIUK as Behavioural Safety Business Partner – leading AIUK in their journey to improve behavioural safety across the whole organisation. She is also continuing to study for her Masters by Research (MRes) degree at Leeds Beckett University.
She said: “To achieve AIUK’s ambitions, they needed the psychological expertise relating to safety and health in the workplace at Leeds Beckett. The targeted and tailored safety behaviour change interventions that we have developed are not something that could be achieved by off-the-shelf consultancy services.
“The KTP has had a significant impact on safety culture at AIUK. I worked hard to gain trust with colleagues, and tactfully engaged stakeholders, to successfully instil core values, foster collaboration, and promote accountability. This has been a genuine ‘bottom up’ approach to zero harm strategy – and is the first step in a long-term shift in how we manage and prioritise safety in the workplace. I am now enhancing our strategic safety plan for 2024 onwards, which includes a structured approach to identifying, addressing and preventing unsafe behaviours and conditions.”
Jo Griffiths, Head of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships at Leeds Beckett University, added: “To have achieved an Outstanding grading for the project is testament to the success of this collaboration between Laura, our academic team, and AIUK. We are thrilled with the impact this is creating across the international Holcim Group – and look forward to continuing to make lasting impact for the extensive range of businesses, public sector and third sector organisations we work with through our KTP programme.”
