Healthier Highways Initiative discussed in Highways Today

Elaine Gazzini, Programme & Technical Director at Connect Plus, discusses the collaborative initiative of ‘Healthier Highways’ alongside Steve Perkins, Managing Director of Steve Perkins Associates in Highways Today.

In the piece, industry health and safety is under the spotlight, particularly the stark imbalance between working on accident prevention and ill-health prevention.

Health, safety and wellbeing is a priority across the M25 network, in addition to being a focus which is shared across the One Community framework. This framework consists of six main supply chain partners - Jackson Civil Engineering, Osborne, Tarmac, Skanska and R&W Civil Engineering, alongside strategic supply chain partner, Connect Plus Services (CPS). Led by Connect Plus, together the framework comes together to collectively develop and share like-minded values, behaviours and initiatives.

Healthier Highways is one of these initiatives, whereby a new collaboration was created with Steve Perkins Associates; initially focusing on increasing awareness of workplace health risks via interactive workshops.

The results of the workshops set the foundations for the Healthier Highways initiative, which is aimed at improving worker health protection on the M25 network through encouraging everyone to Stay Wise, Reduce Risk and Protect Health.

The team selected dust and noise hazards of pavement works as their initial focus areas. Subsequent work revealed the need for improvements, with steps underway to begin do so. Plans are also ongoing to expand on the programme and its approach.

Discussing the initiative and its progress, Andy Dean, CEO of Connect Plus said:

"It’s been a great coming together as a Framework and CPS, to really inject some life into this…and to be able to get some data regarding the environment we’re putting our people into.’"

Read more about the Healthier Highways initiative here.

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Notes to Editors

About Connect Plus and Connect Plus Services

  • Over 10 years ago, Highways England awarded Connect Plus the contract to operate and manage the M25 and its key arterial link roads.
  • Connect Plus is a consortium that includes Edge Orbital Holdings Ltd, Balfour Beatty and Egis Road Operation UK - a unique partnership with a collective strength in highways maintenance and management.
  • Connect Plus Services (CPS), is Connect Plus’ specialist and strategic supply chain partner responsible for operations and maintenance, bringing together the collective strength and expertise of its parent companies, Balfour Beatty, Atkins and Egis Road Operation UK.
  • With a workforce of around 600 people, based at seven locations around the network, CPS carries out routine maintenance, and whole-life management of thousands of M25 assets. CPS manages the operation of the network 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including a severe weather season maintenance programme.
  • Over the past 10 years, collectively we’ve delivered over £1.4bn worth of road improvements and junction enhancements, and we’re continually exploring new and innovative ways to deliver safer, more reliable journeys for our customers. Together, we’re passionate about delivering the long-term needs of the M25 and improving the driving experience for all our customers.
  • For further information please visit https://www.connectplusm25.co.uk/ or follow us at https://twitter.com/cpservices_m25