Page 19 - W M Donald Newsletter - Edition Thirteen

SUMMER 2022
Near misses
I make no apologies for continuing to reinforce the importance of reporting ‘near misses’. Reporting ‘near misses’ is fundamental to continuously improving the safety of everyone on site.
What happens to a ‘near miss’ report? Well, it doesn’t just disappear down an administrative black hole. When you report a ‘near miss’ to your supervisor, they then report it to me. If the issue reported is serious I decide whether we need to immediately issue a Health and Safety Alert or conduct a Toolbox Talk, I also look
for trends in the ‘near miss’ data that would indicate there are behavioural issues that need to be addressed. In some cases, I approach
the client regarding the ‘near misses’ and the issues they raise on a specific site. Good safety is good business and we can use near miss reports to drive up standards for everyone.
In 2021 we registered 150 near misses. To the end of June 2022 we have already recorded 152!. This is a good thing. Spotting and registering a thousand near misses is better than one accident.
I am sure that everyone understands that ‘near miss’ reports are NOT about blame. They show we are on the ball and constantly checking and challenging our surroundings at work.
Look out for the December issue of the newsletter where we will hopefully have some exciting news regarding our new health and safety representatives.
Craig Hunter (HSEQ Manager)
Safe Eric
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Putting W M Donald to the test
Grampian Geotechnical is one of W M Donald’s longest standing suppliers. Neil Dawson and his team undertake the majority of the independent ground investigation and site testing work demanded on W M Donald projects.
Neil set up Grampian Geotechnical ten years ago with his wife who is also an engineer. However, he has known Willie and Elaine for almost twenty years. Neil had also previously worked with Chad, W M Donald’s Geotechnical Engineer, when Chad worked at Fairhurst Consulting Engineers. Based in Dyce, next
to Aberdeen International Airport, Grampian Geotechnical undertakes work across the whole of Scotland:
‘On most W M Donald projects, the works package will require them to undertake a series of site tests to prove the quality of the work. For example, it may be a requirement to test structural platforms and road formation.
We have recently gone through the process
of qualifying for UKAS accreditation for our testing laboratory. This is quite a major achievement and allows us to bring a suite of tests in-house. This will further streamline and accelerate the service we are able to provide W M Donald.’
Outside work, Neil spends much of his time running football teams for 7 year-olds and junior team Hermes JFC.