Make UK announces partnership to reduce workplace accidents

Make UK and Alcumus SafeContractor have announced a new partnership to reduce workplace accidents and increase sustainable growth for British manufacturers.

Manufactures regularly utilise contractors for their specialist expertise to get to market faster, more efficiently and more economically than their competitors. However, the use of contractors has inherent risks.

The Health and Safety Executive suggests around 581,000 workers sustained non-fatal injuries in 2018/20191, many of these are down to unsafe work practices which can be avoided with the correct education and precautions.

Increasing legislation as well means that manufacturers need to consider compliance beyond health and safety to include environmental factors, quality, finance, GDPR, and to ensure that their supply chain is free from modern slavery.

Make UK has partnered with SafeContractor, a leading health and safety accreditation provider, to help British manufacturers overcome these challenges. The partnership will provide members with the appropriate health & safety and ethical vetting of their supply chain to minimise the risks to individuals and their business.

“Health and Safety managers are becoming increasingly stretched as their role increases in scope, urgency and importance,” commented Gemma Archibald, managing director of Alcumus SafeContractor. “Likewise, procurement functions get frustrated as supply chains become ever more complex, making it harder to manage and demonstrate compliance. Finding and assessing the right people for the job can be costly and a huge admin burden.”

She added: “The SafeContractor online portal enables organisations to manage and source the best contractors to minimise risks and transform their supply chain into a competitive advantage. This two-way commitment to ethical best practice and sustainable business growth allows leading businesses and their suppliers to become safer, healthier and stronger.”

Andrew Ward, health, safety and sustainability director at Make UK, concluded: “We are delighted to partner with SafeContractor. Through the partnership we can provide our members with the tools to ensure legislative compliance and reduce the risks associated when working with contractors.

“The efficiencies derived from access to thousands of accredited contractors offers our members a route to get to market faster, more efficiently and more economically than their rivals, offering them a competitive advantage on the global stage. This will be critical post-Brexit when the UK can strike up new trade deals with the rest of the world and must maintain its competitive edge.”

Make UK www.makeuk.org

SafeContractor www.safecontractor.com