On Wednesday 29th January 2020, RSS Infrastructure hosted the bi-monthly Amey Supply Partner Safety & Wellbeing Forum at their Birmingham Headquarters. The representing attendees came from an array of partners and clients of Amey, and were initially introduced to the Forum by St. Maur Miles, Health & Safety Partner at Amey who saw a need for a collaborative partnership between suppliers that focused on a different approach to current issues, innovations and challenges within the rail and construction industries.
The idea is that each meeting will be held at a different ‘host nation’ premise, providing all attendees ‘behind the scenes’ access within the hosts working environment, encouraging the chance to form new partnerships between all companies involved.
RSS Infrastructure and Fusion People co-hosted the first session, with their prepared initiatives on the subject of Health & Wellbeing. Steven ‘Harry’ Harrison, an Armed Forces veteran, alongside his carer Liz Whitehurst, were invited to give a presentation on Harry’s personal experiences with disability and mental health. The talk centred around his accident, and the physical and mental challenges he has since faced. Harry showcased how he channelled those experiences and frustrations into art projects, and how this helped him receive his Masters in Art Psychotherapy, with the support he received from The Royal British Legion and how he gives back with the numerous charity events he participates in.
Russell Bradshaw, Group HSQE Manager for RSS Infrastructure shared the collaborative initiatives he helped to co-found which featured the recently completed Sleep Survey, a Network Rail and Oxford University Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute partnered project. The scheme gathered result data from over 400 participating UK rail workers, which will help identify if there are changes needed to their work and lifestyle conditions, and how this currently affects their sleep and wellbeing.
The meeting then recapped the newly formed ‘A Dedicated Voice for Inclusive Collaboration by Everyone‘ (A.D.V.I.C.E) Scheme that launched in December 2019. The scheme features host companies producing advice avenues on chosen topical subjects, these subjects then get distributed by all A.D.V.I.C.E members internally and externally through varied communication channels, in the aim to inform and support workers within the rail and construction sectors.
St Maur Miles, Health & Safety Business Partner for Amey commented:
“Many thanks to all participating supply partners, our January Host RSS Infrastructure and partnering Co-host Fusion People without which this forum would not be the undeniable success it has become. I look forward to continued collaboration where we promote the awareness and knowledge of safety, health and wellbeing between Amey and our Supplier Partners.”
Russell Bradshaw, Group HSQE Manager for RSS Infrastructure also commented:
“We are honoured to be the host nation for the Amey Supplier Forum. St. Maur Miles has created a very special and constructive atmosphere, an atmosphere where we can all share our experiences as a group and no opinion is overlooked. The forum has its own set goals already, and one of them we all have acknowledged is the lack of diversity in the group, so we have made it our personal goal to bring new talent and fresh perspectives into the group, as we look to invite more people in going forward”.
The Amey Supply Partner Safety & Wellbeing Forum comprises of Contractors, Principal Contractors and Clients from the following Rail and Construction sectors; Aaron Rail, Amey, AP Webb, Ballycommon, Ganymede, Fission, ISS Labour, McGinley, MECX, Morson, MPI, Ready Power, Redstone, RSS Infrastructure, Sky Blue Solutions, Story Contracting, Total Rail Solutions, TXM Plant and Vital.
For more information on the Amey Supply Partner Safety & Wellbeing Forum, or to join, please email: st.maur.miles@amey.co.uk
