Case Studies

Serco’s environmental services business approached The Tess Group to discuss how we could help with ensuring their roadside cleansing staff whilst working on their daily operations were working safely whilst still being efficient. Serco work exclusively with local authorities, providing services like: refuse collections, litter picking, grass cutting and tree surgery. All jobs that involve workers being at risk alongside or in the road.

Throughout the industry between 2009 and 2012, a number of road side incidents had occurred resulting in injury and the death of a competitor’s cleansing operative whilst they were engaged in litter picking by the roadside. Serco were very keen to prevent employees from being a grizzly statistic.

The Tess Group Solution

We provided a consultancy service to comprehensively examine all aspects of their local government Cleansing operations across their Client Contracts. This was a “root and branch” task visiting all the contracts and encompassed carrying out assessments of their daily operational working, vehicle fleet, equipment and training. Our resident traffic management expert worked continuously with Hilary Woods, Regional Health and Safety Advisor. The Consultation was inclusive in that not only were Operational Managers consulted but also operational staff so that they bought into to the need for the review and they felt included in the development of safer working practices and schemes of work. Seminars for staff at all levels have been staged to ensure involvement in problem solving the issues surrounding working at the roadside be that a dual carriageway, rural or urban road. Consultation was also undertaken with Local Government officials to ensure that Serco’s clients understood the need to change and how this was being done. We were able to bring our vast experience and knowledge to analyse the risks the operatives faced on a daily basis. We made recommendations to Serco for changes that increased the levels of safety without hampering the operation. The principals of safe Traffic Management and the Chapter 8 Codes of Practice were applied to this task.

Benefits of Traffic Management Solutions for Environmental Services

• Implementation of robust safe schemes of operations • Changes to vehicle fleet to ensure compliance with temporary Traffic Maintenance rules
• Training for operatives and managers to equip them with the knowledge, understanding and skills to operate safely
• A more confident and happy workforce, safe in the knowledge that they have been consulted, listened to and involved in the changes made
• A continuing consultancy to review impact of changes, compliance to new working practices and to provide a training programme for new and existing staff.

In May 2012 Serco won a prestigious award from RoSpa for the impact on improving road safety for their workforce and road users. The Tess Group were proud to be invited to the Award Ceremony at the Birmingham Hilton.

This case study has been written to highlight our traffic management solutions for environmental services. The work we did with this client was based entirely on their needs. To discuss YOUR traffic management requirements, please contact us on (01604) 210 500 or email [email protected]