A family-owned engineering firm, which supplies petrochemical, aerospace and defence sub-contractors, has been recognised for its health and safety practices and is now being used as a ‘beacon of best practice’ for other companies across the UK.
Hone-All Precision, a family owned and managed engineering business based in Leighton Buzzard, has been chosen by EEF to feature as a case study demonstrating to other businesses how to improve health and safety.
Accident prevention in manufacturing
Adding to the successful Future Factory Series of events, the first annual Accident Prevention in Manufacturing conference brings together senior manufacturers to discuss best practice methods of minimising risks that can occur as a result of poor health and safety culture. The conference will include presentations from British manufacturing companies and will focus on making small and simple changes that result in positive differences. Delegates will learn from leading health and safety specialists with knowledge built from years of experience.
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Hone-All Precision employs 37 staff and worked with EEF after recognising that it faced a challenge, which was to implement a health and safety management system that would meet stringent legislation, but be practical enough for a small business to use on a daily basis.
The company was determined to involve all its staff in the development so that the new system would be practical, realistic and based on genuine workplace experience. This approach was so successful that Hone-All Precision went on to pass its last health and safety inspection with flying colours, receiving a commendation for its approach and high standards and practices.
Now, in further recognition, the company will appear in a glossy case study feature and on EEF’s website, explaining to other businesses how it went about achieving such a result.
Andrea Rodney, director of Hone-All Precision, says: “It’s great to get this recognition, but even better to now be able to share our ideas and best practice tips with other small and medium-sized businesses.
“Too often, things like health and safety can be seen as a distraction. But working with EEF allowed us to turn the whole experience into a real positive for our staff. And this was key, because with our staff’s contribution and buy-in we now have a health and safety culture rather than just a process that ticks the right boxes.”
Mike Prince, Health, Safety & Environment consultant at EEF, says: “Working with Andrea and the team at Hone-All Precision was a delight from start to end – by getting all their staff on board they have managed to design a system bottom up, rather than top down, which is a huge factor behind their success.
“When EEF was looking for an exemplary business to show others how it had tackled health and safety, I immediately thought of Hone-All Precision. To me Andrea and the team really are a beacon of best practice and the perfect way to demonstrate to other businesses the benefits of reviewing health and safety with vigour and an open mind.”
Results:
- All staff were involved in developing the new HSE processes, engendering a better H&S culture across the company.
- Hone-All’s safety record, which has always been good, has improved.
- Staff levels have risen by 40% but the minor accident rate has only increased by 11%.
- Following a recent HSE inspection, the business was hailed as exemplary.
- Following a visit the company’s insurer, the agent would be ‘seriously recommending that they fight very hard to keep our business’.
